I See Dead People
by underastarlessnight
Summary: Cheryl Blossom wakes up to a town in mourning. Four of her classmates have been found dead, and suddenly, she is the only one who can see them. Archie Andrews appears in her bedroom, disheveled, confused and mute. Also very dead, and tries to communicate to Cheryl how he, Betty, Jughead and Veronica died. Kevin and Cheryl have to find their killer before they too meet the same fate
1. Chapter 1

Before.

 _Betty Cooper could think of many places she'd rather spend her Monday night. Which wasn't ransacking somebody's basement._

 _"Shit, I can't find it anywhere." Veronica's voice was growing more and more panicked as she fumbled through drawls, tearing through old bits of paperwork. Betty held her breath as she yanked open the third draw in the desk. Though once again, it was old documents and ratty bits of lined paper. The room was dark, apart from a small lamp casting the four of them in a warm orange light. Archie stood by the door, tapping his foot impatiently. Betty couldn't help smile. Archie was always way too paranoid for his own good._

 _"Can we go now?" He hissed. "They could be back any second," The redhead groaned. Jughead looked up from where he had been rifling through a medicine cabinet. It was just pill, pills and more pills. "Where's your sense of adventure, Arch?" He grinned at the other boy, who rolled his eyes. "At home." He muttered. "Where I'm safe."_

 _Betty couldn't help giggling as she sifted through more paperwork. There was just bills._

 _Veronica scoffed and turned around, flashing her phone torchlight in Archie's face. "Don't diss the Scooby gang, Archiekins." she smirked, and he sent her a small smile, but still looked wary. "Can you guys just hurry up?" He muttered, before cocking his head. He'd spotted something at the corner of the room. Archie moved forward, using his own phone as a flash-light now. "What's that?" He murmured, pointing to what looked like a a dent in the wall. Betty was quick to investigate, and the others followed behind her. Veronica stood on her tiptoes. "What is it? Like a secret safe?"_

 _Betty shrugged. "I'm not sure." She murmured. Her fingers delicately traced the old plastered wall, scratching off bits of ancient paint. But their marvelling was cut short, when there was a bang from upstairs, and Betty turned white, Jughead stumbling into Archie. "Shit, they're back!"_

 _Betty felt her blood run cold, and she had the overwhelming urge to run. But she couldn't. If she did, she'd be caught, and god knows what they were capable of. Betty could only wait in silence, her heart stampeding through her chest. Jughead dragged the three of them behind a pile of boxes and they crouched together. Betty could practically hear Archie's hissed murmur of; I told you so!_

 _The door to the basement flung open with a metallic screech, and all Betty could do was grasp onto Jughead's trembling arm as footsteps began to slowly descend down the concrete stairs._

After.

Cheryl Blossom normally awakened to the sweet smell of pancakes being prepared by the cook downstairs, and soft sunlight filtering in through her bedroom window. Though when she opened her eyes that morning however, she was instead greeted with none other than Archie Andrews staring down at her looking more confused than her. Archie was noticeably paler, his freckles standing out dotting on his cheeks. Any other time she might have thought it was cute. His eyes were crinkled, lips parted, and his ginger hair was a bedraggled mess. The boy sported his Letterman jacket. He loomed over her as if he was standing over her grave and opened his mouth, his lips twisting in a rush of words as he silently cried out to her. But no sound came out. At first, Cheryl could only stare at him through half-open eyes. Whatever he was yelling wasn't hitting her ears like it was supposed to. Instead he looked like a fucking goldfish.

Cheryl was frozen for a few seconds. She started to mentally scour her brain for any memories of intimacy with Archie the night before, but her mind came back blank. Cheryl narrowed her eyes at the redhead who continued to frown at her as if _she_ was what was wrong. In _her_ bedroom. He had that stupid perplexed look on his face. The one that made her want to both punch him, but then kiss him. Because of his stupid big brown eyes.

Though it hit her. Archie Fucking Andrews was standing in her bedroom.

Eventually, Cheryl sat up and Archie backed away slightly, his brown eyes widening. He seemed to have come to the conclusion that being there was a bad idea.

"What the hell are you doing in here?!" Cheryl's voice was choked with sleep. Her first instinct was to grab the closest thing to her, which was her phone. She flung it at the boy, and she must have still been half asleep because she _swore_ it went right through him. Cheryl watched her iPhone smash against the back wall. There was a loud crack and she swallowed a groan. It was her fourth one this year. She really needed a phone case, or at least some kind of protection.

Archie winced at the demise of her iPhone 6 before he opened his mouth, looking like he might say something. But instead, he only managed to impressively imitate a goldfish as he made crazy hand gestures that Cheryl couldn't wrap her head around. The girl's glare sharpened. "Archie Andrews," she growled, sitting up properly on her bedspread. She was wearing her silk PJ's and her long red hair cascaded down her back in tangles. Archie watched her a little too closely as she dragged her hands through her ratty unbrushed hair. "You better have a good explanation for why you're standing in my bedroom." Her gaze traveled up his torso and it was only then that she was noticing that he was pretty disheveled. His jacket was torn in some places, and the front was covered in revealing dark stains that looked a lot like- "Did you spill your breakfast burrito all over yourself?" Cheryl murmured. When Archie rolled his eyes, his lip curling with annoyance, Cheryl cleared her throat. "Well go on then!" She hissed. "Why are you here, Ginger Nut?"

Cheryl's voice was soft. Silky. Dangerous. Archie looked panicked for a second, and started doing those ridiculous hand gestures again while doing a panicked version of his award winning goldfish imitation. Cheryl frowned at him for a few seconds before jumping out of her bed. She'd had enough of games. Cheryl strode over to the boy, her bare soles tickling the fur of her carpet until she was nose to nose with Archie. He only offered her a helpless look. Cheryl was caught off guard for a second, as it slowly began to dawn on her that Archie really couldn't speak. "Did you go mute overnight?" She hissed. Archie only shrugged and gave her a withering look.

 _Really, Cheryl?_ His eyes practically screamed the words and he raised his eyebrows, folding his arms. Cheryl didn't think she had ever seen the boy master sarcasm so well, and she'd known Archie since kindergarten.

There was something different about the boy. She just couldn't put her finger on it. Archie looked the same. He smelt the same, which was overpowering Axe spray. He still had the same dumb ass jock jacket that made him look like an extra in a John Hughes movie. So what had changed? Her gaze lingered on the stains on his jacket. Archie noticed and tried and failed to cover them. _So he did have a spillage._ She thought. Cheryl's lip curled.

The studied the boy for a moment, before stepping back with a sigh. She planted her hands on her hips. "Alright Archiekins, I give up." She muttered. "What's going on?" She frowned at him, getting progressively more agitated. "Did someone rip your tongue out?" She hesitated, glancing at the marks decorating his Blue and Gold jacket, before smirking and folding her arms across her chest.

"And did they wipe it all over you?"

Archie frowned, his expression twisting, as if he was soundlessly yelling; " _No!"_

Cheryl hissed out a breath of frustration. "Then why the hell are you standing in my bedroom looking like you've just been dragged through a bush backwards?" She demanded. Archie glared at her, and looked ready to reply with actual speech. But before he could say anything, her bedroom door was creaking open. Cheryl jumped. She was pretty sure Archie had jumped too. Jason appeared in her doorway looking confused. His face was pale. But she didn't notice, because in the corner of her eye, Archie was doing wacko hand gestures again.

Cheryl let out a breath of relief, ignoring Archie, thankful for some sanity.

"Jason, Thank god! I woke up to him just _standing_ over me-" She gestured wildly to the Andrews boy, but when she turned around, Archie was gone. Cheryl blinked, and then she blinked again just to see if she was imagining things. But she wasn't. Archie Andrews had completely disappeared. She started to wonder if he had been so startled and _fell_ out of the window, but he had been standing too far away from it. In fact she could mentally pinpoint exactly where he was standing, and it was physically impossible to just... _vanish._

"Who was standing over you?" Jason stepped into her bedroom, looking more alert. His voice sounded less dead. But he looked stricken, somehow. His eyes were half-shut, but it wasn't because he was tired. Jason was always up early, way before her, going on his morning run. Cheryl could only stare at the spot Archie had stood. Had she really imagined the whole thing, or had Archie suddenly developed either invisibility? Or was he hiding under the bed?

"Cheryl," Jason coughed loudly when she didn't answer, and she turned to him, pasting a smile on her face. But Jason wasn't smiling. The more she took in her brother, his blank expression, the way he seemed to be holding himself. Her heart skipped a little. She shook her head with a fake laugh. "Nothing, I-" she shrugged. "There was- there was a bird-"

Jason raised his eyebrows. "And you were talking to it?" He shook his head with a sigh when she attempted some kind of explanation which didn't sound crazy. "Forget it, it doesn't matter." Jason muttered. His tone was unusually cold. "Mom wants to talk to you." He wasn't looking her in the eye, his head was bowed, his ginger hair hanging in his eyes.

Cheryl momentarily forgot about her possible descent into madness. "Mom wants to talk about what?" For some reason, her stomach was starting to twist and turn like she was on a roller-coaster ride. Jason frowned at her for a few seconds. He seemed to be deep in thought, before he seemingly snapped out of it. "It'd be better if mom told you, sis," he murmured, shrugging, before letting out a soft breath. "It's pretty hard-hitting, Cheryl."

Once again, Cheryl's stomach was doing somersaults. She swallowed bile at the back of her throat and grabbed her robe, pulling it on. "Do I need to go downstairs?" She asked, discreetly getting on her knees and checking underneath her bed for that familiar mop of ginger hair. _He wasn't there._ Cheryl's felt her chest tighten and jumped up when Jason sat on her bed. "Nah, she's coming up to tell you." He said softly. Cheryl's mind started spinning. It was rare when her parents came up to her room. The maid normally did her laundry and she hadn't had a decent conversation with her mother or father for what felt like years. Cheryl joined Jason on her bed and crossed her legs. She was shaking. What could possibly be so important that her parents had to tell her themselves?

"Cheryl, sweetheart, are you decent?" Penelope Blossom's voice was soft, and actually like a mother's. Which was the opposite of her usual cold croak. Cheryl swallowed. "Yes, mommy." She said, loud enough for her parents to hear. Cheryl watched Penelope Blossom step into her bedroom her expression was sombre. Cheryl's mother stood at the foot of her bed and Penelope offered her a small, sad smile. "Cheryl, sweetheart. I was informed an hour ago that four of your classmates were found dead this morning." Penelope said it so abruptly that even Jason let out a hiss. "Mom, I'm pretty sure that's not how you break bad news!" He hissed.

Though Cheryl wasn't listening. Her mind was a vacuum.

At first the words didn't hit her. Initially she thought her mother had said 'Hedgehogs' Which was strange, because Cheryl didn't _have_ any hedgehogs. But her mind seemed to register the first insane thing that shot through her thoughts. Cheryl's first reaction was to laugh, and demand why hedgehogs behind found dead was the reason why her entire family looked like they had just been given a day to live. Cheryl started to go over her mother's words in her mind, trying to process them. But then Archie was popping into her head. Sweet Archie. His expression when she had woken up, his scruffy clothing and that burrito stain on his jacket-

 _Oh_.

It was like being hit by a bolt of lightning. She felt the impact, as well as the electricity sizzling through her, igniting her. Cheryl suddenly felt really sick. Her mother's voice was far away, as was Jason's. Though they all seemed to mix into one solemn noise. _Classmates found dead._ Her mind screamed at an intense volume. _Not hedgehogs._

Cheryl managed to recover, even when she was sure she was going to projectile vomit everywhere. She had to know. "I'm- I'm fine," she said softly. But her voice was choked, and her eyes were burning with tears that she shouldn't even have. _Cheryl Blossom does not cry!_ Yet Cheryl Blossom _did_ cry. And it was over fucking _burrito stains._

Cheryl brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Who? She said softly. Though she was afraid of the answer. Because part of her knew deep down. It all made a sick kind of sense. But she still asked, once more, and then again when Penelope seemed to be lost for words. "Who?" She nearly laughed at herself. She sounded like a fucking owl. Cheryl wanted to cry Archie's name and beg him to crawl out from under her bed or peek out of her wardrobe with that stupid dopey smile on his face.

His incredibly pale face.

 _He was there, and then he was gone._

Penelope pursed her lips. She noticed her daughter was shaking. "Cheryl, I don't think giving you their names would be a good idea." the woman seemed to be finding it hard to hold it together herself.

Cheryl shook her head, and tried her best not to cry. _She was totally fine. She wasn't losing it at all. Everything was fine._

"Mom, just give me the names." She said softly, swiping angrily at her eyes which seemed to be doing that weird _leaking_ thing that she hated. Jason gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, mom," he murmured. "I'll look after her."

Penelope sighed. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort. "Thomas Keller told me this morning at seven 'O'clock that four deceased kids had been found in Sweetwater River," she took a breath before continuing. "They were named as Elizabeth Cooper, Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge and Archie Andrews."

 _Dead_. The words seem to swim around in her mind. _Dead, dead, dead._

When Cheryl didn't say anything, Penelope nodded promptly. "There isn't a cause of death as of yet, they're just waiting to find out if their deaths were accidental or-" Penelope trailed off.

 _Or they were murdered_. Cheryl thought, her heart jumping into her throat

I'll-" Cheryl's mother sighed. "I'll be sure to update you on the details." The woman nodded at her children. Cheryl, who was staring into thin air trying to process what her mother had just said, and Jason. He was frowning at Cheryl's bedspread, stroking the duvet with the palm of his hand. "I'll leave you two to grieve." Their mother said, before leaving the room, hiding her own stricken expression. Four kids. Four high school kids that were well-known in town were dead.

When Penelope had left, Jason also went to his room, after promising he'd be back when he made some phone calls. She wasn't sure what those phone calls were or who they were to, but Cheryl only nodded in mute silence as she stared at nothing in particular. She could definitely feel tears streaking down her cheeks. Only this time she let them flow. It felt natural for once. Instead of wiping them away with a rough Kleenex tissue.

Cheryl was absolutely positive of two things; Archie and his friends were dead, and somehow, she had _seen_ him after he had been confirmed dead. He had been in her bedroom, looming over her like a sad meerkat, and she hadn't thought anything of it. She might have been wary of the stains on his jacket as well as the rips and tears in his sleeves. But it had all looked completely innocent. Yet now it was a different story. Archie was _dead_. The word didn't feel right being associated with the redhead's name. Even if it was just being spoken in her mind. _Archie was dead._

Cheryl sat there for a long time, frowning at thin air. She had stopped crying after a while, and then started to narrow her eyes squinting, trying to will Archie back. If he was a ghost, or whatever, she needed to talk to him. She needed to know how he and the others _died._ But no matter what she did, he didn't appear. After some deliberation, she forced herself to get up and dressed. A quick glance at the clock told her it was half past seven.

She needed to speak to someone who wasn't one of her brainless minions. She could already hear their whispers from puckered lips in the shape of O's. _"Oh, we were such good friends!"_ They'd insist to anyone they came across. Cheryl felt sick at the thought of going to school. Though she figured she could fake a sick day. She dressed quickly, throwing on anything from her wardrobe. Which was a sweater and some old jeans.

She wasn't in the mood for anything fancy. It felt wrong. When she turned to grab her hairbrush from her dresser, she found herself face to face once again with Archie Andrews. He waved awkwardly, smiling a little. Cheryl froze and remembered her hairbrush and was about to beat him with it, when she realized that she was staring at a ghost, and was pretty sure a hairbrush wasn't going to do anything to him.

 _Except maybe piss him off._

Cheryl stumbled back with a yelp, but managed to steel herself against her dresser. "Archie," she choked out. Tears were already burning her eyes, and she blinked them away. The two of them stared at each other before Cheryl cleared her throat. "I- I totally knew it wasn't a burrito stain," she rushed out, and Archie's lips curled into a small smile. He nodded slowly, his brown eyes shining with relief. Cheryl took a deep breath. _Breathe. It's just Archie._ Her mind told her. Except it wasn't. Cheryl had seen ghost films. She knew that she was looking at an apparition of the dead boy, who was gone. He was dead and gone, and yet here she was- face to face with him.

She shivered, and Archie looked torn. Like he wanted to hug her and stop her from trembling, but also it seemed to dawn on him, that _he_ was the reason why she was shuddering uncontrollably in the first place.

"So, what is it?" Cheryl finally managed to choke out decipherable speech. She offered him a watery smile. "Why are you here, Archie?" Her voice broke. "Who killed you?"

Archie's eyes flashed with irritation, his lip curling, before she understood. "I mean you guys," Cheryl corrected, her voice quivering. "What killed all four of you?" She was being pretty insensitive, but to hell with it. She needed to know.

Archie only adapted a sad smile, before pointing to his throat with a slender finger. Cheryl automatically understood. "You can't speak." She murmured. He nodded, before bringing his finger into the air as he began to sketch out a letter, dragging his finger up and down. Cheryl followed it, but she couldn't understand anything except that he was drawing a name.

"Archie, I can't understand you." She said, and he looked frustrated, and began to write something else. Cheryl shook her head. Her mind was still all over the place, and it wasn't even 9am. She still hadn't had her morning coffee and she was trying to understand a ghost boy who looked like he was having some kind of epileptic fit. She sighed, wiping at her eyes again. "Nope, I'm not getting any of it."

Archie tipped his head back, letting out what Cheryl presumed was a silent groan, before dragging a hand through his scruffy red curls. She caught a glimpse of scarlet on his forehead, beneath his hair, and her stomach knotted. Blood. She was 100% sure of it. Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead had been murdered. Their deaths weren't accidental at all.

And if the police announced it as some kind of tragic accident, she knew from the _many_ films she'd seen, that Archie and the other's wouldn't be able to move on. They'd be stuck.

 _C'mon Cheryl!_ Archie's eyes blazed with desperation. It was clear he needed help from her. But Archie was the _worst_ at charades. If he was trying to act out what happened to him, he was doing a really shitty job. Though he was dead, so she wouldn't say it to the poor kid's face.

"Okay," She murmured. "You guys were clearly killed, and I know that I'm basing all of this on films, Archie, but this is honestly the first time this has happened to me," Cheryl let out a hysterical laugh. "Okay? So bare with me." She managed to compose herself and sniffed loudly. "We need to find your killer before the police rule your death as an accident."

Archie shook his head. _Cheryl, I know the killer!_ He mouthed. But Cheryl Blossom couldn't lipread to save her life. That was going to be a problem.

"I need help." Cheryl murmured. She meant it both mentally and physically, but Archie's face lit up and he mouthed; _Yes!_ As if this was all a game, and she wasn't in need of help to find his killer. Cheryl sighed, and looked Archie up and down. "You really were too fucking hot to die, Archie Andrews." She muttered. The boy rolled his eyes. _Thanks Cheryl_. She could practically hear his deadpan tone as his brown eyes board into hers. She stared at the boy for a few seconds, her gaze going over every inch of him, before she felt her eyes start to sting again. "Alright, Caspar," she murmured, swiping her eyes once again. _Stupid leaking eyes._ They always struck at the wrong moment.

"Let's find your killer."

"Cheryl?" Kevin Keller's voice was mid-yawn as he opened his door. He dragged a hand through his straggly brown hair and fixed her with a confused frown. His eyes were barely open, and he stood in a vest and pyjama shorts. "What are you doing here?" He mumbled, leaning against his door frame. Cheryl suddenly lost the ability to speak. The words stuck in her throat. _Kevin didn't know_. Sheriff Keller mustn't have told him yet. There was probably a reason. After all, Kevin was pretty much best friends with all four of them. Cheryl felt her heart sink. She cast a panicked glance to Archie, who was standing next to her. He shrugged, his lips pressing into what she presumed was a look of reassurance. Though he seemed more interested in Kevin's house for some reason. He didn't leave her side, but she could tell he was itching to get inside. He kept trying to look around Kevin. Something had attracted his attention. _Great help, Archie_. She thought bitterly. Suddenly she felt irrational anger for the redhead. He just _had_ to go and get himself murdered and then haunt _her_ in his afterlife. Cheryl shook her head with a sigh and pasted a smile on her face. "Can I come in?" She asked as politely as possible, and Kevin raised his eyebrows. "Uh, sure?" He took a step back and opened the door wider so she could follow him inside. Archie was eager to get in, and before she could stop him, or try and _discreetly_ stop him, he had wandered off. "So, no offence, but why exactly are you wanting to talk to me of all people at 8am?" Kevin smirked at her, before leading her down the hall.

Kevin's house was pretty small, but cosy. Kevin lead her into the living room where there was a large leather sofa strewn with blankets in front of a flat screen TV, which was paused on what looked like a trashy TV drama. Cheryl recognized one of the actresses. Was Kevin watching Gossip Girl? She watched him slump back down. There was a bowl of half eaten cereal on the coffee table in front of him. Cheryl glimpsed his phone next to him. She figured it was dead. Otherwise, Kevin would surely know the grisly truth about his friend's fate.

"Do you wanna sit down?" Kevin said cheerily. "I'm not at school till the afternoon, so I'm spending my morning watching reruns of Gossip Girl." He grinned at her, and Cheryl forced a smile back. "Where's your dad?" She couldn't help asking. The boy shrugged. "No idea, he's been out all night, and I haven't been able to call him since my charger isn't working." He rolled his eyes and picked his phone up, before dropping it back down on the floor. He let out a sigh.

"Stupid thing." He muttered, glaring at the phone, before his gaze found hers. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

Cheryl opened her mouth to answer, but she caught a flash of blonde hair in the doorway, and she felt her heart stop. Cheryl turned to the door, her heart hammering. She didn't know what she expected. There was a blonde girl peeking around the door-frame as if she was trying to stay hidden. But Cheryl knew her. It was Betty Cooper, one of the dead kids. And yet, like Archie, she was standing right in front of her, clear as day.

Betty was scuffed up, like Archie. Her blonde hair was in rats tails dangling in her face, her blue eyes were wide, her skin as pale and gaunt as Archie's. But Cheryl noticed Betty too was covered in scarlet stains. The jeans and baby pink low-cut t-shirt she was wearing were almost soaked through with claret. _Oh god, so much blood._

Lastly, Betty was barefoot. Unlike Archie, who was wearing his chucks. Cheryl started at Betty for a long moment, trying to figure out how to say _I can see you_ without freaking Kevin out. Betty smiled at her. But it wasn't soft and sweet like Archie, it was almost a grin. Like the girl was playing a game. Cheryl frowned at the blonde. _What the hell are you doing?_ She mentally hissed at her.

Wow, Betty enjoyed being dead a bit too much. She found herself captivated by Betty Cooper's bright smile.

"Cheryl?" Kevin's voice snapped her out of it, and she blinked, tearing her gaze away from Betty, before looking back at Kevin, who looked slightly worried. "Cheryl, are you okay?" He followed her gaze to where Betty still stood in the doorway. But of course he didn't see her. "Dude, is there something riveting that only you can see?"

Cheryl shook her head but didn't look away from the three ghosts. Kevin frowned. "Let me guess," he giggled, his voice still a sleepy murmur. "You see dead people?" He shrugged with a smile. "Great film by the way, I totally recommend it." He seemed to catch himself for a second; "Cheryl, no offence, but why are you here?" Kevin chuckled. "I mean I love whatever _this_ is, but I can't help wondering why the sudden change of heart?"

Cheryl frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Kevin rolled his eyes. "You called me Ugly Teen Wolf last week."

Cheryl couldn't take it anymore. The words were at the back of her throats before she could stop them. Before Kevin could continue with his nonsensical garbage, she just went out and said it before she could think of repercussions.

"Kevin, I can see Archie." She said softly. And right then, she could. Archie had appeared behind Betty, dragging along another figure. When she squinted, she realized it was Jughead Jones. He seemed to be disagreeing about something, his mouth set in a grim line. Jughead was like the others, his clothes practically shredded. He wasn't wearing his jacket, only his S shirt, and some jeans that were once again covered in deep, dark red stains. She didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know what the stains were. Betty and Archie were covered in it. Jughead Jones was splattered with blood.

 _Oh_. Cheryl felt her blood run cold. Jughead wasn't wearing his beanie.

Instead, the boy's hair was a scruffy mess, like the others. Though she noticed there were resemblances between his and Archie's states. They both had smears of blood decorating their forehead, and almost identical tears in their clothing. It was harrowing. But Cheryl mentally noted down the details. Had they been killed separately? Jughead and Archie and then Betty and Veronica? Though she abandoned that thought when she noticed Jughead too was barefoot.

And where was Veronica in all of this?

It was strange watching them. They looked they were having some kind of ghost intervention. Archie looked annoyed at Betty and Jughead for reasons unknown, while the two of them- grinning Betty- and stubborn Jughead, weren't listening. They were scrambling at the door, pointing fingers and muted yelling. Cheryl tried really hard not to watch them, but it was fascinating. "Cheryl." Kevin cleared his throat. "What are you talking about? We see Archie every day," he smirked. "Is there something wrong? You've gone pale." He cocked his head, his eyes widening with worry.

He wasn't getting it, and Cheryl really didn't want to be the one to tell him. "Kevin, I have no idea how to tell you this because it's all crazy," she said softly. Cheryl's chest felt like it was about to explode. She tried to hide her face, and ended up glancing at the three ghosts still in the doorway. They weren't in an intense argument anymore. Instead, Archie, Betty and Jughead were watching her, their expression's soft. Eyes haunted.

Jughead quirked his lip slightly, and it might have been a smile. She couldn't tell. But it was enough. In a way, she had received their consent to tenderly break the news to their best friend. There really was no way of gently telling a kid that four of his closest friends were dead. Not just dead. Murdered. And standing in his living room.

Kevin lost his smile. "What is it?"

Cheryl choked on the words. "Look, there's no easy way to see this," and then hell, she was crying again. Stupid, stupid tears! Cheryl tried hard to straighten herself, tried to regain her voice, but she was a mess of sniffling and sobs, and Kevin was staring at her looking uncomfortable. Cheryl held her breath. If she didn't say it now, she never would.

And then, before she could stop it, there it was. Word vomit in its purest form, splurging from her mouth before she think to close it. She said it all in a rush, as if saying it faster would somehow make it better. She told her everything. About the murder, Archie and the others coming back to haunt her, and that she desperately needed his help. When she had finished, Kevin was scowling at her. "Is this some kind of sick joke?" He jumped up, stumbling a little. Cheryl shook her head. "Kev, I swear, I'm telling the truth."

Kevin was shaking his head, and his eyes were squeezed shut. "No, no, you're wrong." He said softly. "I saw them all last night! They were- they were-" He trailed off when she dug in jacket for her phone and pulled up a rather morbid article of the scene before shoving it in his face. Cheryl felt a pang of sympathy for the kid, but he had to know. He had to understand and he had to help her, or Archie and the others were stuck.

Kevin read the article, skimming through it. The more he read, the more tears welled in his eyes, sliding down his cheeks. He pressed his hand to his nose and mouth to hold back a sob, and the phone dropped to the ground. With a blink of an eye, Jughead was standing right in front of her, and he was staring at Kevin's abandoned phone on the floor, his expression contorted. _Why was he so interested in Kevin's phone?_

Cheryl snapped out of it, trying to ignore the Southside boy bending down and attempting to pick it up. Though his fingers kept going through it. Archie joined him, and the two boys were suddenly engaged in a silent conversation, which seemed to be getting progressively more heated the more they each grabbed for the iPhone.

Cheryl's attention turned to Kevin, who looked distraught. She saw how vulnerable the boy looked, how broken and upset he was. Before she knew what she was doing, she was wrapping her arms around him and letting the boy sob and heave and screech gibberish into her chest. That was when she seemed to lose control too. She started to cry. Not as heavy as Kevin. Her tears were silent as she bowed her head, allowing herself just a moment to break. When she looked up, Betty was right in front of her. The girl gave her a sad smile and reached out, tenderly wiping Cheryl's eyes with two fingers.

Cheryl didn't feel her touch, but from the look of concentration on Betty Cooper's face, it seemed like she was trying to wipe Cheryl's tears away. When she was done, Betty nodded with a smile. Her own smile looked broken, but Betty wasn't crying. She joined the hug, wrapping her ghostly arms around both Cheryl and a trembling Kevin. Cheryl swore she felt an icy chill prickle over her neck.

"Kevin," Cheryl murmured after a while of just holding the boy. She glimpsed the others when she bothered looking up. Archie and Jughead were still knelt on the ground and were smiling at her, as if reassuring her that she was okay. _They_ were okay. Betty was still entangled with her and Kevin. The blonde girl was trying and failing to grab the Keller boy's hand. Her expression was getting progressively more frustrated and upset every time she reached for it, before watching as her hand simply went straight through he friend. That was when Cheryl Blossom broke. Kevin had finally relaxed into her arms and was silent, his head still buried in her chest. He acknowledged her with a grunt. Which was good enough for her. She made a pact to herself there and then that she would protect him for them, for his dead friends, and would find out who yanked them from the world so young. She took a breath and nodded at Archie and Jughead.

"I need you to help me find their killer."


	2. Chapter 2

_The footsteps grew closer and Betty placed her hand over her mouth and nose to muffle her heavy breaths. After a second, Jughead copied and Veronica pressed her face into Archie's shoulder. They were going to get caught. It was inevitable. Betty could feel tears stinging her eyes but she refused to move. Instead, she focused on the room. She tried her hardest to ignore Jughead's trembling and Veronica's short gasps as she tried to hold back a panic attack. Betty let her gaze wander through the basement. Don't think about the footsteps. She stared at some paintings hanging on the walls, uneven. She focused on a tool box on a wooden work table._

 _Then she was looking at the dent in the wall, a secret door hidden inside ancient plaster and brick. Betty shivered. It felt like the footsteps were taking forever to reach them. But they kept coming. Thump, thump, thump. Her heart was in her throat but she had to concentrate. She had to think. Though at that very moment, all she could think about was that this was all Veronica's fault. If the girl hadn't have dragged them into a mystery, where they'd dug deep, until the four of them had finally found their culprit. It had been Veronica's idea to investigate their creepy cabin in the woods, while they were out. And even knowing how dangerous the person was, what they were capable of, Betty, Archie, Veronica and Jughead had broken into their house to dig even deeper, to expose even more of the corrupt man, blinded by his greed._

 _They had gotten too deep, though. Betty knew that. Archie had been right. They should have left when they still had the chance, and now, they were going to face the consequences. Betty slipped her hand in the jacket and tried to dial 911, but her hands were shaking so much it was impossible. If something...did happen to them, the town would never know about the stash Veronica had found which had lead them here. They were supposed to be having a movie night in. After realizing they were in over their heads they agreed to go to the police. But then Veronica had been so determined to find more, to dig up more secrets. And here they were. Four dumb kids who thought they were indestructible because they were sixteen. Betty thought she had her whole life ahead of her. She wanted to go to college, she wanted to have children one day with Jughead. She wanted Archie to be an uncle, and Veronica to spoil them rotten._

 _It was too late to call for anyone. The footsteps were far too close, now. It was only a matter of time. Betty felt like time itself had slowed down, as if allowing her to do one last thing before the inevitable. The footsteps faltered for a second, and Archie let out a soft whimper. Betty took that as the perfect opportunity. Before she could hesitate or think about what she was doing, she was slowly rising to her feet and darting to the back wall. She held her breath, ignoring the rush of hissing in her ears, which was Archie, Veronica and Jughead silently crying out to her. Betty held her phone in shaky hands, clicking the camera app and snapped three clear photos of the wall and the safe, before sending them to Kevin. Her heart plunged into her stomach when her signal started to slowly drop from four bars to two, and when she didn't think it could get any worse, her signal completely went, and both pictures showed up as not sent._

 _No. Not this couldn't be happening! She let out a frustrated sob and started stabbing the screen with her thumb repeatedly. Send! She willed her phone. Please send!_

" _Betty!" Jughead was suddenly behind her, his expression twisted, his clammy hand wrapped around her arm. "Are you crazy?" His voice broke. He started to drag her back to the others, safely behind the pile of dusty boxes. Archie was halfway out of hiding, his arms stretched out as he gestured wildly for the two of them to hide. Betty had been so distracted by the failed messages that she forgot about the footsteps. She felt her heart twist and grabbed Jughead, but her feet were glued to the floor. She couldn't move. She couldn't hear footsteps any-more. Jughead didn't move, and she wondered why? Why wasn't he moving? Though when she slowly turned around to face her boyfriend, he was staring at the entrance to the basement, where the man stood. And Betty swore in that moment, that all the breath was knocked from her body. Jughead squeezed her tighter, an unbreakable embrace. But she could feel every quiver that ran down his spine, hear every strangled breath that he tried to hide. Jughead was terrified._

 _The man was frowning at them,and when he took a slow step forwards, Betty and Jughead stumbled back. Betty opened her mouth to try and give an explanation, but her tongue felt too big, too obstructing. She couldn't speak. Her throat was sandpaper. All she could think about were the piles upon piles of money stacked up upstairs. She felt sweat slowly dribble down her neck when she remembered how they had left the door open upstairs, after Veronica had dragged them down to the basement. Betty suddenly became conscious of the sharp carving knife Archie had found in the draw which was now on the desk, the empty pill bottles and paperwork they had been so careless with- so stupid with- littering the floor. Betty closed her mouth. She couldn't believe they had been so narrow minded, so stupid! She closed her mouth. For the first time in what felt like forever, Betty Cooper didn't have an explanation. She only stood, paralyzed. There was no way out. Nowhere to go. She only held onto Jughead._

 _Archie and Veronica. She wanted to scream at them. The bastard was distracted by her and Jughead. They could make a run for it, they could escape! She clenched her fists and her chest swelled and tears blurred her vision. When she risked a small glance behind her, the two of them were still hidden behind the boxes. She caught Archie's expression, his determined eyes in the dark. They weren't going to leave her and Jughead, and Betty wanted to scream with frustration, with anger. Just run! She wanted to yank them from hiding and force them up the stairs. But when Veronica gently shook her head with a small smile, she knew it was wishful thinking._

 _Veronica Lodge was her best friend, her sister. But she was stubborn. Betty clenched her fists, digging her fingernails into the flesh of her palm so hard she made tiny crescent moons._

 _What a stupid, stubborn bitch! How could Veronica and Archie stay? How could they sit there and know they were going to die, know that they were all going to die, and not try and run?_

 _She knew they weren't going to leave her. And Betty Cooper felt her heart splinter into a million pieces. She hated them. She fucking loved them. And now, she was going to lose all three of them because they were stubborn like her. Because they were young and dumb. Like her. She tore her gaze from Archie and Veronica and glared at the ground. Time seemed to speed up, and she felt she had gone deaf. The only thing she heard were her and Jughead's hitched breathing. The man didn't speak for a moment. He only regarded them with amused eyes._

" _Oh, good lord." The man shook his head with a sigh, before lifting his gaze to focus on the frightened teens. "Betty and Jughead?" He cocked his head, his gaze leaving them and scanning the room. He let out a short laugh. "I presume the rest of the gang are here too?" His lips curled into a small smile, but his eyes looked strangely sad. "Archie and Veronica?" The man cleared his throat. "Are you here too? Come on out. Don't be strangers."_

 _Please don't. Betty squeezed her eyes shut, but she sensed movement and blinked them back open. Archie and Veronica straightened up slowly, before moving forwards and joining her and Jughead. The two of them looked scared out of their minds, but held onto each other. The man chuckled, and Betty's gut twisted. "No, I want you in proper order. Archie, then Betty, and Veronica and then Jughead." When the four of them stared at him in confusion, his lips twisted into a scowl. "What did I just say? Archie on the left, then the girl, and then Jughead! Is it that hard?" His cool and calm tone elevated into a terrifying roar that sent them into a panic, trying to arrange themselves in the right order. When Betty was standing next to Archie, the man did a slow clap. "That's right. Just how it should be." He paused, surveying each of them one by one. Archie was frozen next to her, his expression set into permanent terror._

" _Okay, kids, I'm going to be honest with you." The man smiled brightly. "If you were any other group of snooping brats, I'd have shot you just like that." Betty felt Veronica tense up. The girl let out a soft whimper. The man continued, enjoying their reactions. "But you four" - he pointed to them - "you're something special. The town knows you. I mean, hell, I've known you since you were little kids." He chortled a little, but his eyes darkened. "I'm afraid with you guys, it's going to have to be a lot more difficult. I mean, what can I do?" He shrugged a little, as if it was a minor inconvenience that barely bothered him. "You kids have found out my dirty little secret."_

" _We didn't see anything," Veronica whispered. Her voice was strained, and Betty could tell she was holding back tears. "We didn't see anything, I- I swear to you."_

" _She's right." Betty felt her chest clench when Jughead spoke up, his voice cracked. "We didn't see anything. We were just-" He seemed to be racking his head for an excuse, but he only let out a hiss of frustration. "Look, we saw nothing, okay? We- we were just…" Jughead trailed off when the man nodded, a grin still plastered on his face. He took another step forwards, but none of them moved back. Betty was petrified to the spot. "Oh, so you didn't look through my drawers, my cabinets and my secret little room upstairs, hm?" The man wandered over to his desk that Betty had trashed. He picked up dog eared books and yellowing documents, waving them in the kids' faces, his eyes wild, lips oozing drool as he snarled at them. "Are you really trying to tell me that you didn't see anything?" He laughed, before seemingly catching ahold of himself. None of them moved. Betty felt tears slowly dribbling down her cheeks. If she was looking at her killer, would her mom ever find out? Would Alice Cooper ever see through his façade?_

" _Alright, I want you to hand over your phones," the man growled. When Veronica and Jughead let out twin cries of protest, which was almost impressive if they weren't in this situation. The man rolled his eyes. "Look you're good kids, okay? I don't want to do this but..." He let out another twisted laugh. "You scoobies really leave me no choice." He sighed wistfully. "You see, because you guys are the sons and daughters of Riverdale's respected, it means getting rid of you..." He winked, and the four of them collectively shuddered. "It's going to be difficult."_

 _He smiled at Veronica. "Don't worry sweetheart, you're not going to die with your friends." He chuckled. "You are a Lodge after all. I feel like your father would insist on a clean demise."_

 _Die. The word hit Betty straight in the gut. They was going to die. She expected herself to try and fight back, scream and cry at him, beg for her life. Except she only stood - frozen. She couldn't move. Her limbs were heavy, like lead. Her heart was slamming harshly against her ribs. Veronica shook her head. Her cheeks were blossoming bright red despite the freezing cold temperatures. "No," she said softly. "No, I won't - " She swallowed. Her voice was choked with tears. Betty longed to hold her friend and wrap her arms around Veronica's trembling form._

" _I won't let you hurt them," the raven-haired girl said softly._

 _The man cocked his head. "Aw, look at you kids, trying to protect each other. How cute." He smiled at the four of them sadly. "I really wish there was a better way of shutting you up."_

 _And just like that, his expression was twisted again. Betty couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Miss Lodge, you have nobody to blame but yourself and your idiotic friends."_

 _The man grinned at Archie, and then Jughead. "Okay, let's get this over with." He muttered. "Your fathers aren't exactly special are they?" Betty felt a stab in her chest when he cocked his head with a smile. "Fred Andrews and FP Jones. The Snake and the builder."_

 _Both boys both stiffened. Archie turned to Betty, and he was white. Archie's eyes were wide with fear, his lips parted, as if to protest or cry out. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it so tightly she had to bite her lip to stop herself from hissing out in pain. Jughead didn't move. He didn't speak. He didn't cry. Betty noticed, at the corner of her eye, Archie sliding his fingers into his pocket, just as the man rubbed his hands together with a sparkle of madness in his eyes._

" _Alright," he said casually. "Jones is first."_


	3. Chapter 3

Before.

 _The man grinned. Betty stared as he watched the four of them with silent glee._

 _"Come on," He reiterated. One hand mockingly beckoned the boy forwards, the other dangerously reached to the side - reaching for that carving knife. The kids were all frozen, petrified. He grin twisted into a snarl. "Come on, Jones. I'll make it quick."_

 _No one noticed Archie reaching into his back pocket, sweat dripping down his skin. But they noticed as he, panicked and desperate, lurched forwards, swinging his arm at their attacker. In his hand - his trembling hand - was his phone, the only possible weapon he could find. Betty, like all of them, knew that wouldn't be enough to take him out. Archie's 'heroic' intentions were obvious:_ ** _distract him. Drag away his attention long enough for the others to make a run for -_**

 _His hand was slapped away, and before his phone even hit the ground the man's fist had slammed into Archie's forehead, landing him on the ground. The force of the hit made everyone flinch, and, to everyone's horror, Archie stopped moving. Betty's heart dropped._

 _Jughead's 'heroic' traits kicked in too, enraged, and he too ran at the man, determined to beat him down. How dare he knock his friend down like that? How dare he hurt him? How dare he threaten to kill everyone!_

 _He aimed a shaking punch to the man's gut but received a harsh blow to the head instead, feeling the man's nails scratch his flesh. Jughead, too, was thrown to the ground._

 _The man huffed, filling his chest and making him seem larger. His eyes were burning. "I said I'd make it quick!" He yelled at them. His lips curled into a grin. "But if you want pain? Sure."_

 _"SIT DOWN," He boomed, and the girls both dropped to the floor. Their hearts weren't even thumping or racing anymore - they were quivering. Every beat, every breath, was weak, fearful of being the last. Then, in a moment of silence, the man flexed his fingers, stared down at them, and grinned. "Right. No more games, okay?" He brought one hand to the other and cracked his knuckles menacingly. He took the knife into his hand and held it, threateningly, at his side. He took a moment to smile softly at Betty, and then Archie, motionless next to her._

 _"Betty Cooper and Archie Andrews: the boy and girl next door," he murmured with a smirk. "Gotta say, kids. I'm gonna miss you." Jughead stirred, bringing a shaking hand to his head -_ ** _blood_** **.** _"You two" - the man gestured with the knife between Betty, with her wide, terrified eyes, and Jughead - "shoes off."_

 _They complied. Their fingers trembled as they did, and they shoot nervous glances to one another. Finally, to everyone's relief, Archie started to stir. How hard had that hit been? Betty wondered. He hoped he was okay. But, in this situation, as she stared at the knife, maybe it would have been better for him to have been knocked unconscious. She didn't know what a fatal stab wound could feel like, and she really didn't want to find out. It must be horrifying._

 _With their shoes off, Betty and Jughead sat there shaking. Betty wished she could hold onto him, but she couldn't move a muscle under this man's gaze. He sniggered at them. Moaning, Archie managed to sit up. He held his hand to an ugly gash splitting his temple open._

 _"Ah." The man smiled at Betty and then to Jughead. "I bet this is how explicit you two have gotten." He laughed to himself, then waved the knife at Veronica, who flinched. "Jacket. Take it off." She gulped, but obeyed, slipping it off her shoulders and dropping it to the floor._

 _Then he turned the knife to Archie. "Now you," he ordered with an intimidating scowl. "Get that fancy jacket off for once. God, do you ever not wear that dastardly thing?"_

 _Betty couldn't help but notice the blood that was oozing from his hairline. What had they been hit with? She'd seen the hit in a blink of an eye. With an injury like that, they needed a hospital._

 _Maybe it was because of that injury, but Archie didn't comply. He pushed himself up and glared back at him, daringly shaking his head. The man sighed._

 _"Oh Andrews," he tutted, almost playfully. "Don't try to play the hero. It doesn't suit you."_

 _Archie's glare sharpened. "Let us go." He said softly, his voice broken. He gripped the front of his jacket as if it was part of him. The man raised the knife in his hand and gripped it tightly, ready. "If you don't take it off, I have ways of making you." His lips curled into a grin. "It's not like that jacket's going to save you, is it? What childish logic. Well, I shouldn't expect anything else: you were always that way."_

 _He turned around and reached for the shoes and jacket already on the floor by his feet, throwing them out of the way. "After this, I want your phones." With his back turned, he heard shuffling, and immediately span round - Archie was making a beeline for the door. No. Betty thought feverishly. He was grabbing anything he could use as a weapon. She watched the boy stagger, limp towards the work table and he reached out desperately for a tire iron._

 _The man let out an angered grunt. "What did I say, Andrews?!" He grasped at Archie's Letterman jacket, tearing it as the boy resisted against him. Archie let out a yell, too, he whipped his head around and his mouth formed one word; RUN. Betty looked to Jughead and Veronica who didn't move. And neither did she. They had already made an unspoken pact that none of them were leaving each other. Archie let out a frustrated cry as the man ripped and tore at his jacket, trying to pull the boy into his embrace. His shoulder seized suddenly and, with a shocked gasp, the knife shot through his back. Betty thought she was seeing things at first. She thought the man had let him go, without injury, without hurting him. But then she saw the blood splutter from Archie's mouth, his pained cry, his mouth in the shape of an O as his body went limp._

 _Veronica screamed, and the noise was so harrowing, so terrifying, echoing against Betty's skull as he watched in slow motion as Archie's body dropped to the floor. But the man wasn't done. She tried lunging forwards, but was dragged back by Jughead and Veronica., and all the three of them could do in that moment was watch as the man knelt over the redhead like a wolf over its prey, and swung the knife in a couple more times. Betty felt every hit. She felt the knife slide into her own chest over and over again. Everyone flinched with every hit, and tears sprung to Betty's eyes. "_ ** _NO!_** _" came Jughead's choked cry. Betty had never heard him scream like that. It was agony, ripping from his throat. He jumped up and leapt over them, trying to drag the man off. "Get off him!" Jughead was clawing at the man, trying to rip the monster away from his friend._

 _And then, it was as if time had completely stopped. The man twisted around, and lunged for Jughead, grabbing him around the was thrust to the ground beside his friend, and before he could even crawl away, the knife was swung into him too, and this time, Betty felt out a screech that rattled her ears. But she couldn't move. She couldn't move! Her brain screamed at her to help him, but she only watched as the knife went in again, and again. A pained cough broke out from Jughead's throat as the knife cut through his back. And Betty swore in that moment, her heart stopped. Everything stopped. Everything wavered, like she was dreaming._

 _Tears fell in horror onto her cheeks, and she let out a wail, a agonized cry. She longed to sit with them. She felt her body trembling, convulsing with sobs. She felt something around her, stopping her from doing so. From helping them. It was Veronica, her icy arms wrapped around Betty's neck as the girl sobbed. The man sat back, and, with a heavy sigh, wiped the blood off his face. Archie's blood. Betty thought, dizzily. Jughead's blood. He was covered in them._

 _"It's funny," The man said, emotion absent from his voice, as he glowered at Archie, who was sobbing, his knees pressed to his chest as he writhed on the cold concrete floor._

 _"I used to watch you sometimes, when your parents were busy," The man murmured. He knelt down next to the redhead and gently caressed Archie's face, brushing tangles of red hair from his eyes. "It's a great world we live in, huh?" He stares down at Archie and then Jughead. "That I get to outgrow two little brats that I was sure were going to get into the FBI for their award-winning snooping skills." He chuckled when Archie's eyes flickered, and he stopped moving for a second. "Sleep tight, kid." He murmured. Betty swore she saw tears well in the man's eyes and slowly dribble down his cheeks._

 _Betty's heart fell through her body. She felt Veronica's shivering hand reach for hers, and she held on too, futily, squeezing, like that could save them. She couldn't take her eyes off the boys. "Not dead." Veronica was saying softly, her voice a childish whimper. The girl was rocking backwards and forwards, her eyes unseeing as she stared forwards at Archie and Jughead._

 _"They're not dead, they're not dead- they're not-" Veronica stopped. She stopped speaking, she stopped crying, and she just...she just stared. "Archie, please." She whispered. "Please don't, don't leave me." Betty felt the girl's fingernails press into her flesh. "You're gonna be okay, alright? You- you too, Jughead. We're...we're gonna get out of this and - and go to Pops and-"_

 _The boys were moaning softly, acknowledging Veronica's voice. But they didn't speak. It was a sort of lullaby. Veronica kept her voice steady as she spun out the story of their escape, and then getting on with their lives. "You're going to graduate, and- and Archie, you're going to become a famous footballer, and J-Jughead- a - a f-famous movie critic." Betty felt herself slowly give in to heavy sobs that wracked her body as Veronica did her own version of singing them to sleep._

 _The two weren't dead yet, and maybe that made it worse. The blood -_ ** _oh god_** _\- it was practically pouring out of them. They needed a doctor. Oh god, their pain._

 _With dying breaths, Jughead and Archie turned their heads to each other, blood and tears as well as building fatigue blurring their visions. They were sobbing. They tried reaching their hands to each other, but their bodies couldn't move anymore. Betty saw the moment, the very moment the light left their eyes, and she couldn't register it. No- they were going to open them again, of course they were. Archie would...he'd jump up with his dumb heroics and save them. But the more she stared, and stared- and...and stared, Archie didn't move. And Jughead, lying inches away, curled into himself- Betty felt a stab in her chest. He wasn't wearing his beanie anymore. And she didn't know why, but that fact broke her. She spotted it lying underneath him. Jughead's security. When he had that beanie on, he was safe. That's what he had told her._

 _Veronica stopped talking. She had reached the part in their hypothetical lives when Archie would hold her baby in his arms. Her sobbing halted, as well as her words, and she just stared._

 _"You two" - the man's voice splintered through Betty's consciousness as he gestured to the girls, now with a bloodied knife - "Get up. Try running, and you'll feel this split you apart." With that threat, he grinned, his tongue sticking out between his teeth. It was like the thought thrilled him._

 _Trembling, Betty and Veronica helped each other up and staggered behind the man, unable to ignore that knife in his hand. Betty looked back at the boys - at their battered bodies - but couldn't see them moving. Even when she knew they were gone, dragged from the world, her heart jumped in panic._ ** _No. No, it couldn't be. They couldn't really…_**

 _Betty was dragged roughly by the arm, back up the stairs- down the hall, and through the door into the night air. "No," she managed to whisper. No she couldn't- she couldn't leave them!_

 _She and Veronica were led to a car and forced into the back seats, the doors locked behind them as the man wandered back to the house. Betty didn't say anything. She only reached out for Veronica, and held her. They held onto each other, crying, gasping, meaninglessly telling each other that it will be okay. But it wasn't going to be okay. They were sugar-coating it, lying to each other. Over Veronica's shoulder, Betty saw the man returning a couple of times, lunging a motionless body in his arms. She caught the flash of red, and then limp arms falling into the night. Archie. She couldn't see Jughead - she wouldn't. Betty squeezed her eyes shut and kept Veronica facing the other way. There's no way… she could never let Veronica see that. She couldn't cope with it herself. The man got in the driver's seat and started to drive away, taking all four of them_ ** _somewhere_** _. But really, it was just the two of them. Archie and Jughead might have been in the boot, but they were gone. Betty stared out of the windows as she watched trees fly by. The night seemed to go on as normal, even when her life was about to end. She began to panic, thoughts swirling around her head. Oh god, where would he take them? Was this going to be their final resting place? Where -_ ** _oh god._** _Their bodies. People will find their bodies. People - friends, family - they'll all find out. Betty bit her tongue and tried not to cry. She'd die so young. She was only sixteen years old. She was supposed to have her whole life ahead of her._

 _"Here's the story," the man started in his giddy voice. But Betty noticed it was cracked. Broken, as if he was already regretting killing the boys. "You guys went on a lovely camping trip, and ran into some bad guys, who did a number on Mr Andrews, before stabbing Jones and Cooper." Betty flinched and leaned into the soft upholstery seats. She wouldn't think about her death. Not yet. Until the very last moment. She wouldn't think of Archie and Jughead- they were no longer suffering and in pain. Instead, Betty remembered her phone still in her jeans. She hadn't handed it over. She knew there was no chance for her, but maybe- just maybe- she could make sure he was caught. She dug in her pocket and pulled it out, before letting it slip from her frozen fingers and land on the car's carpeted floor, by her bloody bare feet. They would know. She thought, desperately. If her phone was found in HIS car, then they would know_ ** _he_** _had killed them._

 _"Lodge? You managed to run away, but unfortunately you're found a few meters away from the campsite." The man continued, spinning out a ridiculous story. Betty knew her mom wouldn't believe that they had just decided to go camping, that some random people had come and killed them. Through the mirror, Betty could see him smirk. "Blunt force trauma to the head."_

 _Veronica started to cry - Betty felt it on her shirt - and she let her bury her face into her shoulder. She tried to comfort her as best as she could, but how? They were both trapped. Both destined to fall to the same horrific fate as Archie and Jughead. A cold shiver ran through her at the thought. It was dark. There were trees everywhere. The road was bumpy. Betty thought she knew this journey, from some sad memory: this was the way to Sweet Water._

 _The car soon stopped, and the girls' panicked cries all started up again. Betty watched in horror, her face pressed against the cold glass window as the man opened the boot and dragged the two bodies out - she saw Archie's bloodies Letterman jacket and Jughead's S shirt dyed a deep crimson. The man hauled the boy's one by one from the car, stumbling with the weight._

 _Betty turned her heads away, and grasped onto Veronica, who was squealing and crying and screeching into her chest. No, don't see them. She thought. If you don't seem them, they might… might not be dead_ ** _…_** _What childish logic. But what else could Betty think? She was desperate not to accept it. She couldn't imagine them being dead._

 _But soon, it would be her fate too._

 _There were a couple of loud splashes, and a broken sob burst out from her throat. How could he treat them like that? Just letting them drop from his embrace and hit the icy water, letting it swallow them up. They deserved better. They deserved- a life. A life of laughter and crying, and anger, and tragedy. But life. It was one big stupid, ugly, beautiful thing. But it was worth living. Archie and Jughead had been two happy kids, optimistic for a future they'd never see._

 _The door was flung open and before Betty could think, she was dragged out by the arm - Veronica cried out from behind her, but the door was slammed and locked, trapping her inside. The girl pounded on the glass, but to no avail. Betty couldn't help but scream out in panic as she was carried over to the edge of the water, her bare feet scratched at the concrete as she made one last ditch effort to escape. Sweet Water was supposed to be beautiful. Even at night. She had so many memories of this exact spot. Skimming rocks with Archie and Jughead when they were little, boy talk in the snow with Veronica, each of them nursing hot coffee._

 _"Betty, Archie told me he loved me. He really told me he loved me!" Betty could still hear the girl's squeals of delight as Veronica had spun her around, the two of them giggling. That had only been a few months ago. Archie still loved Veronica. Betty knew he had never stopped._

 _"I'm sorry, Elizabeth." The man sighed into her ear. His breath was icy, sending shivers rattling up and down her spine. His voice surprisingly broke._

 _"Why couldn't you kids have just left me alone?"_

 _Betty looked down into the dark depths - and felt like throwing up. She refused to answer him. Her mind returned to the present. Archie… Jughead… their bodies were floating in the water, faced up, and red was diffusing through the colorless water around them. They were still, unmoving, and their skin looked paler than normal. Their eyes were shut, and their expression's- could she dare say they were peaceful when their faces were streaked with different shades of scarlet. Light and dark, mixing together to create her worst nightmare. It was so strange seeing them lying so still, so broken. Her heart broke at the sight. They couldn't…_

 _She was suddenly seeing them in her mind; flashes of them growing up with her. Archie's first ever toothy grin on the first day of kindergarten where his hair had been a ginger scruffy mess that had attracted her to him in the first place. Then the image morphed into teenage Archie Andrews, her best friend, mid-laugh, with that stupid goofy smile. And then came Jughead. Jughead Jones the quiet little kid her and Archie had forced to become their third musketeer. Jughead; her mind zipped through her memories of him. His smile, that sarcastic eye roll she had fallen in love with."I love you, Betty Cooper." He had told her, with the most beautiful smile- the sincerest eyes. She knew that day that Jughead was the one. He was the one she wanted to grow old with, to have kids with, to share every waking moment of life with him._

 _Betty let out a gasp, which wasn't quite a sob. Her chest was heaving, her heart aching, her stomach catapulting into her throat. She felt the icy wind whip her loose hair around her face, she felt it graze against her skin and it had never felt so good. She had never felt more alive. She craved more of it as she stared down at her boyfriend and her best friend. But time was running out, it was too fast, this wasn't- this wasn't how it was supposed to end! She wanted to say goodbye to her mom, her dad, Polly- everyone. She wanted- she wanted to live._

 _But not without them. Betty knew in her heart that she could never live without them. She didn't want to live a life sitting at Pop's staring at three empty seats in front of her. She wasn't herself without them. There would be a deep dark cavernous hole in her life that she didn't want to live, if she wasn't going to be standing next to her Jughead, Archie and Veronica._

 _An arm tightened around her chest, and she let out a strangled gasp, squeezing her eyes shut, willing away her fear._ _ **Get it over with.**_ _She thought, desperately._ _ **Just do it! DO IT!**_

 _"What a shame," the man sniggered. "You had so much life ahead of you." He raised the knife, and Betty could only whimper. Tears dribbled down her cheeks. She felt them against her lips and it felt so good to feel, before the dark. "If only… you hadn't been so stupid."_

 _The knife slammed into her stomach and she choked, her body convulsing. Pain. Stabbing pain. So this… this sickening sharp pain… is what it feels like. It was brought out, and forced in again, and again, and Veronica's muffled screams were barely reaching them. But then there was a cry, and the sound of something metal hitting bare flesh. The man let out a scream of pain, and the vice around her stomach loosened, as the man lurched, bringing a hand to his bleeding head._

 _ **Ronnie.**_ _Betty thought. She'd tried to save her._

 _Betty felt herself let go, and she fell, face first, into the water. Into the icy shallows enveloping her hungrily. She felt a sense of dread, or panic as she felt her life flow from her, and into the stream. Her hands - a struggle to move - reached for her stomach. While she lay there she lifted her head slowly, spotting two forms around her. She reached out for them, knowing it was far too late for them to grasp back. She longed for Jughead's hand, warm and pressed against her own. Betty tried to cry out, but her voice was a croaked whisper. It hurt. It hurt so much. She could feel the blood leaving her, and wished she could press it back in. Her breaths turned into gasps and her body, like the two before her, started to sink._

 _Betty heard Veronica's cries get louder, and her body turned to face the scene. She was fighting back as the man tried to drag her away, away from the water, but she wouldn't stop staring at them._ ** _Us - the bodies_** _. Betty thought. She could feel the life draining out of her, but, unlike the blood, it wasn't seeping into the water: it was just disappearing. Veronica tried to break free - her screams were being muffled now, by the water in Betty's ears and her fading consciousness. She saw Veronica run for the water, and the man's fist bring the knife's handle to her head. She stumbled, fell, but kept going. Betty could hear her name being called, but she was tired. Veronica fell ungracefully into the water - her eyes looked dazed, and blood was running quickly down the side of her head. She didn't crash just yet. Betty watched the girl, as her body caught against a rock, temporarily binding her to the surface. Veronica shakily rose to her feet. She didn't look as damaged as the others. Betty hoped the girl would survive. The last thing she saw was Veronica Lodge, her best friend, staggering over rocks, her dark hair plastered to her face, a trickle of scarlet seeping from a gash across her forehead. That was before Betty felt herself get dragged down by the cur, her limbs slowly being sucked into the unknown._

 _But Betty still heard Veronica's muffled screams, crying out her and the boy's names. Repeatedly. Loud splashing, as the girl stumbled, wading in the water as she searched for empty shells. "Betty!" Veronica was wailing, choking on her sobs. "J- Jughead?"_

 _Another splash. "Archie!"_

 _It hit Betty then, that the girl was desperately looking for them._ _ **But we're dying, Ronnie.**_ _She thought. Suddenly that wasn't such a scary thought. She was dying and they were dead._

 _As her vision blurred, Betty saw the figure of the man returning to his car, grabbing a few supplies, and disappearing into the woods._

 ** _Help…_** _she thought, but couldn't bring herself to say. Her eyes closed and she couldn't open them anymore. Betty knew this was it. She'd never believed in life after death, an afterlife. Heaven or hell. Instead, she knew it was going to just be the dark- was never going to see Jughead, Archie or Veronica again. It made her cry, but she couldn't tell the difference from her tears and the frozen shards filling her body. Water was filling her mouth and her breathing was thin. No, it wasn't her time. She didn't want to die- alone and- and cold._

 _"BETTY!" Veronica's cry was the last thing she heard as the water bobbed around her, her conscious was dragged away, and all that was left was the wet, cold dark._

Betty didn't stay in the dark for long. The thing about death was, there was no welcoming golden light, or a voice murmuring in her ear to let go. Instead, it was like being yanked back. It was a physical pull on her whole body, slamming her back into reality. Except in front of a glass mirror which she could peer through and press her hand against. But she couldn't make any physical contact. When Betty came to, opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was the sunrise streaking across the sky at dawn. And then when she gathered her surroundings, she realized she was standing up. She could hear sirens in the distance, meshed together with the roar of sweet-water river. Betty was barefoot, still in her bloodstained clothes. They still stuck to her, painting her flesh a revealing dark crimson. Her hair hung in tangled rat tails.

She stood there for a long moment, shivering. She still felt the frozen breeze grace against her skin. When she turned, her feet grazed the concrete. She felt the grit on her toes.

She twisted around, her gaze soaking in everything around her. She was no longer in the river. Instead, she was standing on the dusty road next to it. The sirens grew louder, screeching in her ears. There was a crowd of people behind a strip of yellow police tape. Betty knew it was because of her own murder, their murder. And then she saw them. They were standing a few feet away from her, the two of them staring at her, not saying a word. Archie was still in his bloodied Letterman jacket but the stains were slowly starting to disappear, leaving light smears of scarlet decorating the blue and gold material.

The gash on his forehead was knitting itself back together. His brown eyes were half shut, as if he had just woken from slumber. His bedraggled red hair blew softly in the breeze and his lips formed a small, broken smile. Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones were some sort of alive again.

Betty's gaze landed on Jughead. The scarlet smears across his head, his cheeks and ears were fading, as if the afterlife they had found themselves in was photoshopping the wounds from their murder. They had been dead longer than her. Jughead Jones was as beautiful in death as he had been in life. His skin was so pale, his chocolate brown hair falling over dark green eyes that seemed a whole different shade. Betty expected Archie and Jughead to be enveloped with warm golden light and disappear, like in the movies. But they only stood, the two of them shoulder to shoulder as they watched her, studying her. As if they were scared she wasn't real. Betty started to move forwards, as if in a dream. She was running then, and sobbing, crying, her lungs swelling, before she threw herself at the two boys, and they in turn collapsed into her, holding her closer, squeezing her to them as if they were afraid she was going to fade away. Betty pulled away eventually, and neither of them spoke, because the obvious question seemed to have already been answered. Were they dead? Yes. They were very, fucking dead. But for now, they were together again. The three of them huddled close together and watched more police arrive, and the crowd grow larger as the sky brightened, turning from a dark reddish purple, to a startling crystal blue. Riverdale was waking up. Betty watched their murderer among them, bleeding into the crowd, pretending to be shocked, horrified at the scene.

Eventually, Jughead spoke. His voice was a low murmur as he watched the police drag Sweet-water. Betty grasped his hand and squeezed it. It felt so warm, so real. But Jughead's words seemed to hit her suddenly, and she broke away from him, searching for the girl, her dark-haired best friend who had surely died along with them. But she was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Veronica?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Cheryl," Kevin spoke softly. Tears were still rolling down his cheeks, and Cheryl had to stop herself from reaching out and wiping them away. Her own heart was broken, and now here Kevin Keller was; staring at her with swollen eyes, tears building at the corners of his lips.

The boy was completely broken, and she had no idea how to fix him. Much less herself. The two of them had been locked in an embrace for the last god knows how long. Cheryl had lost track of time while Kevin had sobbed into her shoulders, whimpering gibberish she couldn't understand, but she forced herself not nod and say things like, "It's okay Kev. It's going to be okay. I promise." except she was wrong. It never was going to be okay again. Archie and the others weren't going to come back.

She was never going to see them, bright and happy, full of life- again.

Cheryl cast her gaze away from Kevin's sullen expression for a moment, and allowed herself to lock eyes with Betty Cooper. It was funny. The longer she spent looking away from the ghosts, when she did make eye contact with them again, it felt wrong. Like mother nature was trying to right their wrongs clearly going on.

Ghosts weren't supposed to be real. Apparitions of the dead. So first, she had taken their speech. Now she was making almost translucent.

Elizabeth Cooper had been beautiful in life, but in death? Cheryl envied her angelic looks. The girl was cross legged on the floor, bent over Kevin's abandoned phone. Golden strands of her hair were hanging in her face, sticking to her cheeks. Hair that looked like silk. Eyes far too bright, skin so pale and perfect. Cheryl had a random slightly hysterical thought; Could ghosts sweat? Betty was frowning at the phone, her blue eyes fixated on the black screen.

Archie and Jughead were on their knees too. And Mother Nature had dragged them through her filter too. The cut on Archie's forehead was disappearing, his hair suddenly a whole different colour- a vibrant brilliant flaming red while his skin had turned shades paler, a perfect contrast to his hair. He was still wearing his bloody Letterman jacket, but even that looked like it was being photo-shopped. Telltale stains were slowly disappearing, the blue and gold suddenly standing out.

Cheryl found herself smiling softly. Archie Andrews. She'd watched a film when she was a kid which made her cry. It was a Disney film. Which begged the question why it was so damn dark. It had followed the tale of a dog who dies, and is transported to heaven. And all Cheryl could think as she stared at the ghost boy standing there in glowing blue and gold, was All Bulldogs Go To Heaven. Which was ridiculous. Part of her wanted to laugh hysterically, while the rest of her wanted to cry. Sob her heart out until her eyes were raw, her throat dry.

God, she couldn't look anymore. It was killing her that she couldn't- she couldn't hug the fool. The dumb ass boy with the big brown eyes. Because he was fucking dead.

Tears were trailing down her cheeks again. But she didn't hide them. Cheryl was half aware of Kevin, still looking a state with bright red cheeks, matching eyes, and bloated lips.

He was staring at her with confused and slightly suspicious eyes, looking like he was seconds away from passing out. She figured that might have something to do with the fact that she'd blurted that his friends, the kids who had died only a few hours earlier, were standing right next to him. Poor Kevin was almost as pale as the ghosts.

Cheryl's gaze flickered to the last phantom. Apparition. Whatever you want to call it.

Jughead Jones; the last time Cheryl had looked at him, his forehead had been stained a vicious claret. But now his skin looked like it had been torched, dipped in liquid gold. While his hair, raven bangs, fell in eyes she never thought would capture her breath.

Jughead Jones making her of all people breathless?

In this case, it was all of them. Betty, Archie and Jughead looked to have been bathed in heavenly golden light. It emanated from them, warm and sweet. She blinked rapidly, but the light stayed. And the longer she stared, the more confused Betty Cooper's expression grew. She looked up from apparently-the-most-interesting-thing-on-the-damn-planet which was Keller's phone, and frowned at Cheryl, her eyebrows furrowing. Cheryl, despite herself, got choked up again. "Is there something on my face?" the girl's expression demanded, getting progressively more irritated the more Cheryl's smile slowly grew. It was crazy that the things like appearance was still bothering the blonde. Blinking in confusion, Betty's fingertips moved across her cheeks gingerly. "There isn't anything on my face." the girl rolled her eyes before refocusing her gaze to the task at hand; Kevin Keller's broken phone.

They really were taking a damn interest in the boy's phone. Cheryl felt shivers tingle down her spine when Archie lifted his head slowly, his brown eyes wide. He was mouthing something. But to her, he was just doing goldfish impressions again. Which, by the way, sucked.

She wished she'd payed attention back in kindergarten during games of charades. But Little Cheryl had always been preoccupied. Her chest ached. It wasn't a good idea to think back, back to the past. Back they were little kids and life was innocent; when things like death and murder were scary stories, word of mouth in the classroom. Cheryl hated that she could recalled not a game of charades- but something worse, a sweet childish moment of her young life coming back to haunt her. It wasn't exactly a clear memory. But the trauma her mind was going through triggered it, dragging suppressed memories of the four that she really didn't want to see right now. Oh god. Not now.

But still they came, the memories hitting her like a tumultuous wave of ice cold water. She could almost smell her old kindergarten classroom.

The smell of crayons hanging in the air, meshed together with the old, ratty carpet they had all sat on. At five years old Cheryl had sat with her long red hair pulled into pigtails. Which she made sure weren't cascading down the back of her baby pink t-shirt. Because of the boys behind her, their giggles and prying hands. She knew they were pulling on her pigtails, and she most definitely was not going to cry. Even when she was turned away from them. However, her eyes had been stinging. One of the boys had lunged forward. And she'd seen the motion at the corner of her eye. But before he could grasp hold of her hair and give it another almighty tug, a voice had splintered through the bubble she had built around herself.

"Cheryl!" Looking up, Cheryl found herself staring at a mane of golden hair and pink fluff. Elizabeth Cooper. The girl smiled brightly at her through a large gap in her teeth, and she found herself smiling back. The girl reminded her of a princess.

"Do you want play with me?" Elizabeth asked. The gap in her tooth was making whistling noises, and Cheryl couldn't resist a grin of her own. "Okay!" she jumped up, suddenly feeling on top of the world. "Great!" the blonde started dragging her towards a boy with hair the colour of the vibrant sun set sky Cheryl sometimes caught at dawn. Archie Andrews. She had been avoiding him since the teacher had mistakened them as brother and sister, and Jughead Jones had laughed so hard he'd been escorted out.

Archie was smiling nervously. "We're playing Scooby Doo," he said softly. "Do you want to be the girl?"

Who was the girl? Cheryl didn't watch Scooby Doo. She was happy though, that she'd been picked to play a game. She nodded. "Okay." she murmured.

"I'm Fred!" Elizabeth said proudly. "And Ronnie is Scooby." Cheryl startled when Veronica Lodge jumped on her back, giggling. Her thick black hair was pulled back by a blue headband. "Woof!" the girl pretended to sniff Cheryl, and she couldn't help giggling, teasingly pushing the girl away. Veronica backed down, breaking into a fit of laughter.

"And Juggie and Kevin are the van!" Elizabeth had hold of two boys who didn't exactly look happy to be there. Kevin Keller and Jughead Jones. Kevin looked perplexed. He still had hold of an unfinished painting before the blonde had grabbed his arm, yanking him to the middle of the playroom. Jughead Jones grinned at her, his green eyes sparkling. "The van is the best part." he waggled his eyebrows before pretending to drive, honking on his imaginary horn. "Everybody on!" he yelled. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his waist, then Archie grasped onto her back, Veronica and Kevin joining in. Cheryl stared at the five kids hanging onto each other, ready to speed off on a Mystery Adventure.

Part of her wanted to walk away and join Ginger, Tina and Reggie playing with Lego with the other kids. But there was something playful and intriguing about Elizabeth and her group of friends that made stomach flip over. Cheryl nodded excitedly, no longer caring about how long her hair was. "Come on!" Jughead groaned. "We need the girl!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Cheryl joined the chain they had created, tangling her arms around Kevin Keller's back. And then Jughead was off, flying forward, with them all attached, laughing and yelling for him to go faster. Which had been a mistake. Cheryl was so excited to be part of their strange adventure, she wasn't expecting for the seven of them to run into their exasperated looking kindergarten teacher. One by one they had tumbled over, which had been perhaps the funniest thing that had ever happened to her.

The game 'Scooby Doo' had been banned after that. But Elizabeth had come up with better games, more exciting games, all involving the seven of them. Cheryl had found her own group of friends. They would pretend to be detectives, or searched for buried treasure, crawling around on their hands and knees looking for that imaginary pot of gold that Jughead had squiggled on a piece of A4 paper. Granted, his drawing was just a large circle with scribbled yellow felt tip spots and glitter. But in Cheryl's imagination, it was a giant case of gold hidden deep in their classroom. Hidden by their evil teacher.

It was only when Cheryl grew older, did she start to fade from their little group. Finally, Elizabeth, or 'Betty' now, had excluded her from their games exclusively- making passwords for each one. But Cheryl, then nine years old, didn't care. She was friends with Reggie, Tina and Ginger. Little Cheryl had been so ignorant, so stupid. Her nine year old self would never know that The Scooby Gang wouldn't even reach eighteen.

"Cheryl?" Kevin's voice shattered the memory, and Cheryl realized she'd been staring at Archie for far too long, and her cheeks were damp again. She could almost see the little year old inside of them. Despite everything, he'd still maintained that spark in his eyes. That damn hair. God dammit. Sniffing, she cleared her throat. "Hmm?" she was still trying to figure out how she was going to explain the ghost situation.

Kevin looked like he was having a hard time keeping it together. "I saw them last night," he whispered. "Oh god, Cheryl, I saw them- I saw them last night."

Cheryl sucked in a breath and wiped her eyes, then her cheeks, surely smearing mascara everywhere. "Kev." she murmured. "You know I'm not kidding around, right?" glancing at Betty for some kind of coaching on how she was going to explain how they were lingering still, in his damn living room. But the blonde only shrugged with a helpless expression.

Kevin stumbled back a little, his head still bowed. He was sniffling, his green eyes filling with tears once again. "I saw them." he whimpered. His fists were clenched by his sides. "They said they were doing- I don't know, some kind of project?" the boy let out a pained cry, scrubbing his eyes with the balls of his fists. His eyes flared with anger, his lip curling. "Why didn't I go with them?"

Cheryl tried to grasp hold of as much information as possible. While Archie's head snapped up, his eyes widening. He jumped up, nodding. He wanted her to press Kevin more about the project they were doing. But how could she? The boy was falling to pieces right in front of her, and instead of being their for emotional support, she was going to start demanding he answer her millions of questions. Cheryl rolled her eyes at the redhead, and then cleared her throat. "Kevin, do you know what they were working on?"

Kevin didn't look her in the eye. "How am I supposed to know?" he mumbled.

"The- project?" she was stumbling over her words, still trying to steel herself from having a mental breakdown. She wasn't far from one. Her chest felt like it was being crushed, all the air driven from her lungs. "Kev, you said they were working on a project."

Finally the boy met her gaze. "What does it matter?" he growled. "How is that going to help them now, Cheryl?" his voice broke. "They're dead, Cheryl! They're fucking dead!"

Cheryl tried to reply, but there was a lump in her throat. She watched as Betty straightened up slowly before wandering over to Kevin. After hesitating, she wrapped her arms around the trembling boy. Kevin didn't acknowledge her, of course he didn't. But there was something about the sweet, heavenly light that was Betty Cooper wrapping herself around her best friend, that made Cheryl want to break down.

God, she wasn't cut out for this! A frustrating burn began to build inside of her. Why did Archie choose to haunt her? Why could she of all people see them? It should be Kevin!

Cheryl held her breath. "Snap out of it, Keller." she said softly. Immediately regretting her choice of words when the boy's eyes narrowed.

"Snap out of it?" Kevin repeated softly, his voice icy. "Snap out of it?!" he said it again, choking out the words, as if they were a joke to him. Betty held tighter onto the boy, refusing to let go. Even when Kevin scrubbed at his face, moaning into the palms of his hands. "You're- you're telling me to snap out of it?" he let out a harsh laugh and collapsed on the sofa, burying his head in his knees. Cheryl watched Betty fall with him, keeping a hold on the boy. It was adorable and heartbreaking. "This isn't happening." Kevin said softly. Then again; more hysterically, screaming into his knees. "This isn't- god, this- this isn't happening!"

Cheryl bit her lip. Archie and Jughead weren't being the least bit of help. Didn't they have some kind of ghost powers? As if he had read her mind, Jughead shook his head, his lips curved into a small smile. Archie looked like he was concentrating, as if the boy was trying to see if he did have magic powers. The other boy shoved him. Hard.

"Kev..." Cheryl started off slowly. Gently. She needed his help, the only way she was going to get it, was tell him about their ghosts. Was there even a way of describing it?

"What?" Kevin mumbled. His voice was hitching with sobs and hiccups as he struggled to breathe, coarse words with his muddled tongue. "I think you should go, Cheryl," he paused. I just want to- to be alone." Betty, still with her arm linked with his, shook her head, her blue eyes determined. "Tell him." she said, with her eyes. They were almost pleading. "Please, Cheryl." Cheryl glared back at the girl. "How?!" she mentally screamed. "If it's so god damn easy, why don't you try it, Cooper?"

Betty only bit her lip. She looked infuriated, unable to use her mouth. Her friend couldn't even see her. "I'm trying." Betty's expression said, and if Cheryl really concentrated and let her imagination run wild, she might just hear the girl's soft sobs.

"Stop crying," Cheryl rolled her eyes. "Haven't always said you're an ugly crier, Betty Cooper?"

"What?" Cheryl felt her cheeks go scarlet. She'd spoken out loud. Looking at Betty, the girl looked both horrified and relieved. Kevin was looking at her now, his mouth gaping. "Did you just call me Betty?"

Swallowing a groan, Cheryl ran her hands through her, stalling for time. Time they didn't have. Kevin was staring at her as if she'd just grown three heads.

"Okay, I'm just going to say it," she said. "Kevin, ever since this morning, you know when they-" she shuffled uncomfortably. "Anyway...look, I don't know how to tell you this because I'm going to sound crazy, and that's not what you need right now-" she was babbling before she knew what she was doing, a long string of word vomit slipping from the lips before she could bite it back. "They're here, Kev." she said in a gasp of breath.

Kevin cocked his head. "Who are here?" he swiped at his nose, his eyes which were red raw from crying, peered at her before his gaze bounced around the room. "I don't understand."

"They're here!" she tried again, sounding more desperate. "Kevin, Betty is sitting right next to you!" she pointed to the blonde, who nodded at Kevin reassuringly, as if the boy could suddenly see her now. But by the look of fright and confusion on Kevin's face, he couldn't see them. The boy glared at her. "Cheryl, are you really trying to mess with my head after everything-" he broke off into a sob but managed to regain himself. "My friends are dead," he whispered. "And you're- you're trying to-"

"No, that's not it at all!" she was yelling before she could help herself. "Look, they came to me, okay? They need our help!"

Kevin looked stupefied. And very, very angry. "Get out," he choked. "Cheryl, get out of my house."

Cheryl opened her mouth to start shouting at the boy, but the sound of the front door slamming shut made both of them jump. Kevin sprung to his feet. "Dad?" he whimpered, blinking rapidly, no doubt trying to force himself to stop sobbing. But the tears still came. Cheryl turned to send Archie a panicked glance. But she found herself staring into thin air. As if the boy had been yanked back into the unknown. When she looked back at Kevin, Betty was gone from his side.

Cheryl felt, for a moment, as if reality had been restored. The air no longer shimmered around her. Everything looked normal again. Mundane and boring. Right before she had woken to Archie Andrews looming over her bed this morning. Momentary relief trickled inside her, before she found herself glaring at the empty air trying to will Archie, Betty and Jughead back into existence. How was she going to solve the mystery of their death when they weren't even here?

The man who walked through the door wasn't Kevin Keller's father. It was a deputy. She recognised him vaguely; a youngish man with dark brown hair and five O' clock shadow. He was called Travis with an irritating Southern drawl which didn't take long to get on Cheryl's nerves. He looked like he'd been crying himself. "Kev," The deputy cleared his throat, pulling off his hat as a sign of respect. "Your dad's asked me to come and take you to the station."

"Sure." Kevin said softly. Without another word, he was rising to his feet and grabbing his jacket from the sofa. The boy was still in his pyjama pants, but Cheryl doubted he cared. "I'm sorry about your friends." the deputy murmured. "They were good kids."

Kevin didn't say anything, only drooping his head further. Deputy Travis' gaze eventually traveled to her. "Miss Blossom, I wasn't expecting you. Would you like a ride? Sheriff Keller has asked me to take his car too."

Cheryl wanted to decline. But walking didn't appeal to her right now. Plus, she had to keep an eye on Kevin. No matter how much he clearly hated her right now.

"Of course," she murmured softly, moving towards the door. There was still no sign of the ghosts. She expected Kevin to start protesting about her accompanying them, but all the boy did was stare at the ground as the three exited the Keller house. The sheriff's car was waiting outside, and Cheryl jumped in the back, leaning into the smooth leather seats.

Kevin climbed in soundlessly after her. Cheryl waited for Archie to appear next to her. But he didn't. The deputy drove in silence, and Riverdale was, no pun intended, a ghost town. Cheryl stared hard at her lap, attempting some kind of apology in her head, something to say to Kevin. But none of them seemed genuine. "Kevin, I'm sorry I told you I can see your ghost friends, but I really can. If you could just listen to me..."

God, she was bad at apologising. In the end she stayed silent. The car ride was longer and more tedious, thanks to traffic. When she risked a glance at Kevin, he was leaning against the windows, his head buried in his arms. The multicoloured bead bracelets on her wrist were a welcome distraction. Cheryl fiddled with them, pulling at the elastic, fumbling with the beads. When the bracelet slipped off her wrist and landed next to her foot, she sighed and bent down, grabbing for it. But instead, her fingers curled around something else; something ice cold which was weighty in her hand, moulding underneath her fingers. She stared at it for a few seconds, before her mind registered what it was.

It was a phone. There was no cover. When she flipped it over, the back was a pale baby blue.

Cheryl couldn't seem to take her gaze off of it. Her fingernails scathing across the screen. Her fingertips hovered over the power button, and when the screen flashed on with the apple logo appearing, her heart dropped into her throat. She checked the phone over, frowning at the back. Whose phone was it? she glanced up, hoping Archie would be sitting by her with the answer in his eyes. But he was nowhere to be be seen, and part of her split into pieces.

What if he really was gone? Had they found a way to move on? The more she stared at the lingering apple logo, the more her heart thumped; pounding in her chest relentlessly. Her lungs felt starved of oxygen. Cheryl swallowed hard. She couldn't think the worst. Archie wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. Would he?

No. She told herself. Unless their death was solved, which was almost definitely murder, the four of them were stuck.

Four of them. Cheryl felt her stomach twist. Veronica Lodge's body had been found in Sweet Water river, confirmed by the police.

So where was she? Where was her ghost?

"What are you doing?" Cheryl bit back a yelp, dropping the phone on her lap when Kevin leaned over, snatching the battered 5C. "That's my dad's!"

Cheryl could breathe again. "I- I found it on the floor," she mumbled, avoiding eye contact with the boy. From the strain in his voice, she could tell he was still crying silently mourning. "I'm sorry Kevin." Cheryl let out a soft breath. She watched the boy stuff the phone in his pocket, leaning back in the seats. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes. "I really can't understand why you're here, Cheryl."

Cheryl didn't know either. In the end, she managed to choke out; "I'm here for you." before silently damning Archie Andrews and his ghost friends into a mediocre heaven where all the B class dead celebrities were. Their situation had turned her soft. Her. Rock hard Cheryl Blossom, queen bee of Riverdale High. Now she was a sobbing mess following their best friend around like a lost puppy. She had truly hit rock bottom.

Kevin scoffed. He didn't open his eyes. "Can you bring them back?" he murmured. When Cheryl couldn't answer, he turned away from her. "That's what I thought." 

* * *

Before.

All at once it was like her heart had been shattered, pieces of it puncturing her lungs so she couldn't breathe. Veronica Lodge knelt on the riverbank, still soaking wet. Her clothes stuck to her, strands of her hair were glued to her back, her neck, her chest. Her head was cracked open, blood trickling from a gash in her temples.

When she pressed two fingers against it, they came back soaked scarlet. But Veronica didn't care about her state for the moment, even when her breath grew progressively more shallow, black spots invading her vision. The girl knelt, barefoot, her favourite black dress in tattered rags hanging from her slim frame. She stared stared at the river in front of her, the crashing current spilling over rocks jaunting from the surface. Half of Betty Cooper was sprawled on a rock, the rest of he body submerged in the crystal clear water, which had been tainted with her blood. Veronica knew Betty was dead. Her skin was pale. It was so pale. The girl was floating faced down, her golden hair trailing in the lashing waves.

Veronica knew she should run. That she was next, and the psycho wasn't far behind her. But something glued her feet to the ground and stole her breath from her lungs. Seeing her best friend dead, just lying there motionless, slowly being pulled under by the current, sent shock waves running through Veronica's veins.

It was the first time that she'd allowed herself to let death sink in. With Archie and Jugehead it had been fast. She had been screaming, crying, her body filled with adrenaline. Which suppressed her agony of losing them. She had felt nothing when she lost Archie. Because it was so sudden. Then his body had been flung into Sweet Water like it was nothing- like they were nothing. And Veronica's brain had faltered, unable to register what she was seeing. But Betty was different. She had seen the blonde girl fight for her life, gasping and crying, gulping icy water, until she just stopped- and lay there, the blood she had tried so hard to keep inside her broken body, diffusing the water around her.

At first- she had felt numb. When Betty had died, Veronica had been wading through the water, her arms outstretched, prying fingers aching to grasp hold of her best friend and pull her from harms way. She'd been staggering in the water, gasping for breath against the icy water that lapped knees, spiked at her heart.

She had reached Betty, but the girl had stopped struggling and sobbing. She just lay there on the rocks, her scarlet body painting the rocks beneath her. At first Veronica had tried to revive her. But on the fifth try, with her lips pressed against the blonde's attempting to breathe precious life into her dead lungs, it became evident from the scarlet stains in her chest that Betty wasn't coming back. Then Veronica had felt- pain. It was agonizing, taking hold of her chest and squeezing it until she couldn't breathe.

She had whispered Betty's name over and over again, cradling the dead girl to her. Veronica sang to Betty, lullabies that her mom sung to her when she was a baby. And then she rose her head and sang to her the water too, hoping that wherever Archie and Jughead were, they could hear her.

Then Veronica let go of her best friend. It was hard, letting the girl slid from her grasp. But the forest wasn't safe. There was a man still searching for her. Betty slipped back into the water, and Veronica waded back to shore. Before she knelt there in the dirt and mildew, reveling in the smell of wildlife, and the air around her. She was still breathing, and her heart was still beating. But looking out into the water, knowing that her friends were under there, cold and alone. No longer hurting, but so cold. So alone.

She didn't want to leave them. Part of her wanted to search for Archie and Jughead and sing them to sleep too. But they were already asleep. She'd seen the light leave their eyes back at the cabin. Veronica stood up slowly, her eyes skating the horizon. The moon hung in the sky, reflecting in the river, filling the water with warm, sweet light. She let out a soft breath. And it was only then, when she had calmed down, when her soft eyes were content on the glowing water, when Veronica realized that her head really hurt.

The man had smashed her in the temples repeatedly, and now she felt every blow. When she trailed her fingertips across her cheeks, her salty lips, she felt warm blood. It dribbled from her ears, tasted it in her mouth. Like she had been sucking on loose change. Pain. Veronica squeezed her eyes shut. Oh god, so much pain. It came in waves, crashing over her. Struggling to her feet, Veronica squinted in the darkness, she took a single step forwards before falling onto her knees, her legs giving out.

Fuck. Veronica screamed into the ground until her throat was raw. This wasn't- this wasn't fair! she was supposed to live. She was supposed to become Hiram Lodge's heir and go to college. She was supposed to have Archie's child. Oh god, Archie. Her eyes burned as she struggled to her knees, forcing her legs to work. Work, god dammit! Work!

"Veronica Lodge." the voice made her freeze. Veronica's fingers had been half way to her bleeding, attempting to assess the damage. She managed a soft moan, lifting her aching head and peering through thick strands of her hair plastered over her eyes. And there he was, looming over her. The man who she had trusted with her life, countless times. Riverdale's most respected. Who had murdered her friends. Thrown them in the river.

She had to run. Run! Get away from him! But she couldn't. Everything hurt.

Breathing hard, the girl could only glare at the monster.

There was something hanging over the man's shoulder. When Veronica realized what it was, she beat the ground with her fists, letting out a pained screech. Archie's Letterman jacket still tattered and ripped, stained with crimson. When she looked closer, Jughead's hat was hanging out of his jacket pocket.

He held up a phone, and Veronica felt shivers tingling down her spine. Betty's phone. The man noticed her gaze and chuckled. "You might think I'm sick, Miss Lodge. But these aren't souvenirs, trust me. I'm just laying out the trail, y'know? I'm concocting the story of the four kids who went on a camping trip and were unfortunately attacked by some nasty men."

When she didn't reply, he smiled sadly. "Archie, Betty and Jughead were chased through the forest, until they were killed one by one and thrown in the river."

"Stop." she whimpered. "Please." Her legs wouldn't move. Veronica swallowed a choked sob. There was no way out.

The man crouched in front of her, his breath tickling her face. "And how did the great Veronica Lodge die, hm?" She squeezed her eyes shut, ready for everything to end. The darkness was inevitable and she almost welcomed it. But there was nothing. The man didn't give her a final, fatal blow to the head.

"I'll be taking these." he said softly, and she flinched when his fingers, still wet and warm with blood, scratched at her neck. And her hands were following, her own fingernails scathing at her skin, already knowing what he had taken. The pearl necklace she always treasured.

Was that her 'souvenir'? were her pearls going to be trashed somewhere, hidden under moss and bracken for sniffer dogs to find?

The sounds of retreating footsteps sent her heart into a frenzy. He was leaving. Veronica let her eyes flicker open, her gaze frantically searching the dark. The man had shot off in he opposite direction, a whisper in the night. After allowing herself to breathe, Veronica forced her legs to comply. She had to stand up. She had to stand up.

She was alive.

She was going to make it.

Before something crunched behind her. Twigs snapping underneath different shoes. A different person.

"I'm sorry, Ronnie."

The voice was so sudden, crashing through the reverie that was her broken mind. Veronica went hot all over, waves of nausea crashing over her. There was a different voice splintering her heart. Veronica choked out a sob. But she wouldn't turn around.

She wouldn't face him. "You." she said softly. She could feel herself falling apart piece by piece. She found herself letting out a hysterical laugh, her gaze still on the river. The first glimpses of sunrise were beginning to blossom over the horizon. Oh, how many times had the two of them stood here? In this very spot, talking about their future.

"I'm sorry." his voice broke, and that was when she knew she was going to die. His tone held no mercy. He wasn't going to change her mind, and she was vulnerable. She could taste blood coating her lips. "You watched him kill them." she whispered.

He didn't reply.

"You bastard- you watched them die!" it happened in a blur of motion. Veronica's voice rose to hysterics, and she was turning around in a whirlwind, ready to attack with her last ounces of energy. But he was ready. Armed with a brick in his hand, he slammed it into her. Then she was flying- spinning, twirling, dancing. Her mind flickered; throwing the Could Have Been's into her crumbling consciousnesses. She was in a white gown, spinning with a grinning Betty, a long glittering veil cascading down her back.

Her wedding. The one she had always dreamed of.

Veronica, teetering on the edge of life lived out her dreams. For them last moments.

But he continued, his hands still wrapped around the bloodied brick. He wasn't hitting the motionless girl, however. He was hitting the ground with the rock, over and over again. He was screaming it, at the top of his burning lungs, sobbing it into the starless sky.

I'm sorry.

Veronica was dancing with Archie, who was mid-laugh. But she couldn't stop staring into his deep brown eyes, laughing at his dopy smile as he spun her around and around. While glitter surrounded them, mirrors reflecting golden light. They were flying. And she was happy.

For just a moment, before the dark- there was the light. It was the light she had always dreamed of. And in the center were three figures reaching out for her, pulling her into the allure. But for some reason she couldn't hold on. When she tried to hold on, something was pulling her back. Archie was so close- he was so close! his expression contorted with concentration as he pulled at her arm. Betty's frantic yelling was muted, while Jughead lunged forward, grabbing hold of her with his own arm. "Veronica!"

But she was slipping...

She was slipping...

Veronica fell away from the light. Drifted from Archie and the others, who were getting further and further away. Smaller and smaller until...

"Veronica!"

Until nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

_I turn the music up, I got my records on_

 _I shut the world outside until the lights come on_

 _Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone_

 _I feel my heart start beating to my favourite song_

 _And all the kids they dance, all the kids all night_

 _Until Monday morning feels another life_

 _I turn the music up_

 _I'm on a roll this time_

 _And heaven is in sight_

* * *

The car ride was taking ages. And it sucked. It had been an hour since Cheryl had seen the ghost of Archie Andrews and his murdered friends and she was starting to worry it had been the last time. What if his murderer had been found? Had he disappeared into a ball of heavenly light, swallowed into heaven? Cheryl pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the window and let out a soft breath. God, she hoped not. She wasn't letting him get away that easily. Kevin was still silent next to her, and she wondered if he had fallen asleep. Maybe that was a good thing. The deputy nodded along to the low murmur of the car radio, spewing songs that made her feel nostalgic. It really was the worst time for old school Britney Spears to start blasting out, but part of her was relieved.

"How you holdin' up?" Cheryl jumped a little when the deputy spoke. He peered at her through the car mirror, his light green eyes warm. She straightened up, composed herself, and pulled her lips into a bright Cheryl Blossom smile. "I wasn't as close to them as Kevin, deputy." she replied. Her cheeks were burning. And now she was.

She was their best chance at moving on, but - why? Why her? Of all the people who knew them, she should have been the last person they went to for help. Yet here they were...or at least they had been here. Cheryl's eyes stung, tears slipping down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped them away quickly, scowling. No. Cheryl Fucking Blossom did not cry.

Even if she had spent over an hour sobbing into Kevin's shoulder earlier. This was where the crying stopped. She promised herself she wouldn't shed another tear.

"They were good kids." the deputy sighed. "It's funny..." he smiled a little. "I used to babysit Archie when I was about fifteen. It was good cash, and hell," Travis sighed. "He was such a good boy y'know? always went to bed when I told him to."

She wanted to roll her eyes. Sounded like him.

Cheryl nodded along, not really listening. Kevin scoffed next to her. When she risked a glance at him, his head was still buried in his arms. "Archie had a heart of gold," Kevin whispered. His voice cracked. "He didn't deserve- he didn't-" he broke out into sobs once more, his body jerking as he rocked backwards and forwards. Cheryl sat back and held her breath. She was so close to losing it too. But she wouldn't. Fuck. She wouldn't!

"As for Betty and Jughead, they were always coming up to me," he shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "asking to look at case files." Travis chuckled. " They were quite the Sherlock and Watson."

"Mmm." Cheryl mumbled.

"And Veronica? Hell, I didn't really know the poor darlin-" Deputy Travis' voice sounded distant, like they were both suspended under water.

Cheryl closed her eyes. There was a dull pain starting to thrum across the back of her skull. Now that Archie, Betty and Jughead had been pulled back into the nether-realm, she was left to deal with the mystery of the four's death herself. Which was ridiculous because she had spent most of her teens low-key making their lives a misery.

Maybe part of her was still salty at them for dumping her in kindergarten, making stupid passwords for their dumb games. So sure. The dweebs had ruled Kindergarten, and most of junior High. But hell, she had promised that she would take their reign in High School.

And she had. Archie, Betty, Jughead and Veronica became close to her in a very different way. They weren't friends, but they didn't despise each other either. It was a weird type of relationship, but she was strangely happy with it. She had never failed to greet them passing the hallways, of course before purposely knocking into Jughead Jones so he dropped his armful of books. She had been quite the cockblock when Betty and Jughead had gotten together. Which still confused her. Betty was pink and pastel, while his entire wardrobe consisted of black and grey. The most colorful he'd been was when he'd wore a white shirt, and Reggie Mantle had called nicknamed him 'Caspar' for a week.

Jughead Jones had an obtrusive nose, hair that looked like a used toilet brush and talked in weird metaphors and pretentious remarks that made her want to rip her hair out. Betty Cooper was sweet like maple syrup, all blue eyes and blonde hair. Yet somehow- through multiple cosmic events that were the only reason a girl like her would fall for a boy like him- they fit. Urgh. They fit so well Cheryl wanted nothing more than to destroy them. Throughout sophomore year Betty and Jughead had many 'special spots' they liked to throw themselves on each other, getting all hot and heavy. The janitors closet, the boy's changing rooms (ew) All of which Cheryl had sabotaged. Not because she hated them, but more because it was fun. It was surprisingly enjoyable to terrorize the four of them.

In freshman year Archie had dyed his hair a deeper shade of red which made him look like a clown. The boy hadn't quite hit puberty then. One day his clumsy fourteen year old self had stumbled down the corridors of Riverdale high, that horrific mop of red hair haphazardly hidden under a baseball cap as he attempted to wrestle his books into his bag. On top of the horror show that was his hair, the boy looked like he'd come to school in his pyjamas; he wore a cotton shirt and sweatpants. Archie Andrews looked a mess. Well, an adorable mess. The boy was a disheveled bag of anxiety she loved to provoke.

Cheryl had made a huge deal of bumping into him, loving how the way his head had snapped up, brown eyes glinting with fear, his freckled face turning as bright as his hair.

"Oh no." the words had been written all over his face, his lips curled into a sudden scowl. "Cheryl, please." his piercing gaze had begged. "Don't do this!"

Pfft. At that time, Cheryl didn't care for begging. It was pathetic. Andrews might as well have been on his knees. So she had only winked at him, her scarlet lips twisting into a manic grin, before she let out a loud laugh, alerting the rest of the student body. "Archie Andrews!" she chirped, her hands going to her hips. "What on earth did you do to your hair?" she cocked her head in question while the boy shrank back.

"I-" Archie tried to laugh it off, shuffling uncomfortably. His brown eyes searched for an escape, except every eye was now on him, kids starting to giggle, nudging each other. "I messed up with the color." his voice was shaking, and Cheryl rolled her eyes. The kid's eyes were glinting with tears. She could have continued, maybe whipping his little hat off and sending the corridor into an uproar of laughter.

But she didn't. Perhaps she still had compassion in her cold, dead heart. Or maybe it was because Betty Cooper had joined Archie's side. Back then, Betty's hair had been a blonde mess of curls falling down her back. It was before the girl knew what a hairbrush was. In freshman year Betty was well known for her huge crush on Archie. Which nobody could understand, because at that point the boy hadn't been hot at all. He was just a head of greasy red curls and lopsided smiles. But Betty, for reasons unknown, was smitten.

"Back off Cheryl." Betty stood in front of Archie, her arms crossed over her bright pink sweater. Which, god, had been a fashion catastrophe. As well as not knowing how to brush her hair, Betty Cooper also didn't have much of a fashion sense either.

"What did you just say to me, Cooper?" Cheryl murmured.

Betty's voice shook slightly, but she held her ground. "I said back off," she said. "Archie's mom dyed his hair if you must know. He had nothing to do with it."

Cheryl grinned. "Lies." she giggled. Her gaze went to Archie, who was visibly shaking. "Did you or did you not murder Ed Sheeran and store him under your hat?"

Archie, looking like he was about to spontaneously combust from pure embarrassment, ducked his head. The blonde by his side looked determined to fight back for him.

"Colourful." Betty's lip quirked. "I'm surprised you have enough brain cells to come up with that one Cheryl."

The crowd tittered, and her blood boiled.

Cheryl glared back at the blonde. She never lost. Even being a freshman, Cheryl was the Queen Bee of Riverdale High. She had destroyed anyone who bothered talking back or instigated a fight. Betty Cooper, the girl she had known since she was five years old, had been a brave girl. There had been so many insults in the back of her throat, ready to spew out of her mouth. But then of course Jughead Jones her knight in shining armor, the boy who had probably been in love with her since birth. As well as Betty's best pal, the princess herself- Veronica Lodge. They pushed their way through the crowd until they were standing with Betty and Archie. They didn't say anything, but it was clear in their eyes that they weren't going to let her reign of terror over Archie and Betty continue.

"Cheryl." Veronica smiled brightly at her. At the beginning of the year Cheryl had refused her a position on the Vixens despite the girl perfecting a herkie and toe touch. The squad had loved her, but Cheryl had only rolled her eyes.

"Thank you, Veronica for...that!" she'd pulled her best passive aggressive smile. Though inside, her heart was hammering. Veronica was better than her. Show off.

The Lodge girl had been perfect for the team. But Cheryl was stubborn. She didn't dislike Veronica. But she wasn't exactly best friends with her ever since their epic falling out when they were kids. So the answer had been cherry on the top no. Much to Veronica's clear annoyance.

Cheryl had expected the girl to protest or complain, but all Veronica did was drop her pom poms before shooting her a devilish grin. "Your loss!" before making a quick exit, of course not before doing another backwards flip, the smile never leaving her lips.

Cheryl hated her. But she also- kind of fucking loved her.

Veronica stood shoulder to shoulder with Jughead, her green eyes narrowed, challenging her to go further. "Is there anything else you want to get off your chest?"

It was four against one. Cheryl's lip had twitched. Well, maybe three against one. Archie had just been standing there looking like wanted to crawl into the ground. She wasn't sure why she was intimidated by them. Individually, she could have stepped on them easily. Like cockroaches. But together, the four of them and their dumb- stupid friendship that had spanned nearly a decade- it was no match for her.

"Oh please!" she had settled on spitting back. "Look at me, I'm a ten. Do you really think I'm going to waste my breath talking to you?" she stabbed a manicured fingernail into her chest, the crowd of eyes following her every move.

"You troglodytes are barely even a three." with a flip of her hair and a smile, she pushed past them, continuing down the hall. Cheryl might have been smiling on the outside, sneering at anybody who dared turn their nose up at her. But her legs were shaking, her chest clenching. It was emotion she didn't want.

Cheryl Blossom didn't cry.

Even when she really wanted to.

She didn't really have proper friends. Never ones to call her own. Those dweebs had been her best chance. Now all she had were her followers, the girls who looked up to her like she was some kind of all knowing, all seeing god. Which she wasn't.

"Cheryl?" The deputy's voice snapped her out of it, and Cheryl sat up, bleary eyed. The real world slammed into her like a brick to the face. The four kids she had teased in her younger years of high school were dead. Not just dead; ghosts fucking haunting her.

The car ride was starting to make her feel nauseous. Biting back a groan, she stretched.

There were telltale lines of drool on her lip she quickly swiped at with the cuff of her sleeve. "Yeah, I'm-" she blinked herself out of her reverie. "I'm awake."

Kevin was sat up when she turned to him, his head of unruly dark hair ducked over his father's phone, the one he'd yanked off her. Cheryl peered at the phone. She still couldn't get it out of her head that she knew it from somewhere. Seashell blue really didn't seem like Thomas Keller's type of colour. She squinted, and Kevin turned to frown at her, his eyes darkening. Since she had done an impromptu reveal that she could see his dead best friends, he hadn't been in the best of moods with her. "What?"

Cheryl shook her head with a smile. "Nothing..." she giggled a little. "It's just- baby blue doesn't really seem like your dad's sort of thing." when his forehead creased with confusion, he glanced at the phone in his hands before quickly pocketing it.

"He likes bright colours." Kevin murmured. His gaze stayed glued to his lap. Cheryl nodded. "Kevin." she said softly. "About what I said earlier-"

He turned to her, his green eyes filled with tears. "You mean when you said you could see my dead friends?" he shrugged. "It's cool." he swiped at his swollen eyes. "I guess people hallucinate when they mourn."

Cheryl curled her lip. "No, Kev, it wasn't a-" she reeled back, biting back a squeak when a face appeared directly in front of her. For a moment it didn't have features, looking like it was phasing in and out of existence, a warm golden light she automatically recognized. Her heart swelled, his name on her lips. But instead of Archie, it was another familiar face. Jughead.

The boy was getting progressively more and more attractive the more she saw him as a ghost. The blood spatters on his head had almost completely faded, all but one still split through his eyebrow. Jughead Jones had never looked more alive. His skin was glowing, every strand of his chocolate brown hair shining in the heavenly light spread around him.

Cheryl. she read the boy's lips. They curled into an amused smirk. Her eyes stung once more. Unbelievable. The Jones boy was more likable when he was dead.

"Jughead." She said softly. Soft enough for Kevin or deputy Travis not to overhear. The boy offered her a sad smile and rolled his eyes. Get over it, I'm dead.

He flashed her his best 'I'm totally okay' smile. Which she didn't believe for a second. She couldn't seem to tear her gaze from the fading scarlet stains in his shirt, the bloodied scratches dotting his cheeks. Oh god. Whatever had happened to him, he had suffered.

Hey! Jughead mouthed, clapping his hands in front of her eyes. Cheryl swallowed a growl, suppressing the urge to shove him. But then she'd be shoving thin air, and Kevin will think she's even crazier. The ghost boy cocked his head. Pay attention!

Okay. She understood that.

The boy knelt in front of her, his wide green eyes animated as his lip movements grew confusing and convoluted. Did he think she had some kind of magical mind reading power?

Cheryl glared at him. How was she supposed to talk to him with Kevin right there? Jughead stared back at her, before his eyes widened, and he tipped his head back, letting out a mute groan of frustration. "

Okay. He bit his lip. She frowned at him. Huh. His lips curved, and his silent voice seemed to hit her. At least through his mouth motions.

Her lip reading was improving. Compared to this morning with Archie's goldfish impressions, she could actually understand Jughead - to an extent.

Jughead's eyes lit up and her chest ached. Yes! Come on, Cheryl! Understand me!

The boy leaned forward, his ghostly forehead knocking into hers. Except she didn't feel anything. Jughead's eyes were haunted with something that she'd never see, never know. She was determined to find his killer, but she'd never know how he died. How much it had hurt, if he'd died or alone, or with Archie, Betty and Veronica. As if the boy had read her thoughts, he leaned back, smiling a little.

I...

Cheryl followed his lips carefully. For a moment it looked like the boy was crying. She was sure she saw tears glistening in his jade eyes.

Cheryl. Jughead mouthed. For the first time, he looked at her earnestly. The first proper smile he'd given her. It said many things. I. Didn't. Die. Alone.

Jug spaced out the words, and seemed to be having difficulty saying them. He swiped at his own eyes, muttering something she couldn't understand. Cheryl managed a stiff nod. She didn't know what to say back. If he hadn't died alone, he had died with the others. He had died with Archie. The thought made her want to cry and scream, claw at their murderer. When she found the culprit, Cheryl wouldn't show them mercy. They were going to suffer.

Jughead cocked his head, and yeah she had to admit, it was adorable. Archie. his lips said. Archie and I-

Cheryl shook her head rapidly. No, no, stop!

Jughead automatically understood. Sorry. he mouthed. Cheryl, I'm sorry-

"Don't tell me." Cheryl said quickly, hissing it softly.

Fuck, she was crying again. Tears were slowly sliding down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop them. Jughead noticed, and raised his eyebrows. Don't. he rolled his eyes. Jesus, don't cry over me.

Cheryl swiped at her eyes. She couldn't fully understand what he was saying.

"Agreed." she whispered. Jughead looked like he was exhaling a breath of relief. His gaze settled on her. Work with me, okay?

She nodded slowly.

Get on with it Jones.

The boy mimed cracking his knuckles. Let me try a different way.

Jughead straightened up and jerked his head towards the window. Cheryl warily followed his gaze. Then he pointed to himself very slowly, as if communicating with a child. Follow me he mouthed. Cheryl gritted her teeth. "How?!" she hissed. Kevin was in his own world, and deputy Travis was murmuring along to the radio. Coldplay. She winced. Of all the damn songs that could be playing, it had to be soppy, melancholic Coldplay.

Cheryl understood. Jughead wanted her to get out of the car. Looking outside, there was nothing for at least two miles. They were on the outskirts of Sweetwater. She straightened up in her seat. "Hey, deputy?" Cheryl watched Jughead slip seamlessly through the door, appearing outside. She blinked. God, she'd never get used to that.

"Can you let me out?" thinking fast, she covered her mouth and gagged. "I'm- oh god, I'm going to be sick!"

"You're what?" Travis snapped into action, stamping on the brake. The car came to an abrupt stop, and Cheryl grabbed the handle and pushed open the door. After pretending to gag, unsuccessfully bringing up her stomach lining, Cheryl straightened and flashed the deputy a sickly smile. "I- I'm okay now," she managed. "But just in case, I'll walk home, alright?"

Travis frowned. "If- you're sure?" he murmured. "Miss Blossom, really, it's no trouble if you're sick in the car. We can easily get it cleaned."

Cheryl jumped when Jughead materialized next to her, followed by Betty and Archie. Her heart did a flipping over thing which she wasn't used to. Archie. He hadn't left her after all. At least not yet.

The two of them almost looked like their old selves, though like Jughead, still bore scars from their death. There was a cardinal smear stretching across Betty's abdomen, and Cheryl realized for the first time. The girl had been stabbed.

Her light pink t-shirt was flawless, all except that one splash of blood splattered across her stomach. Archie's front was mostly free from any damage, but when he turned around, the breath caught in her throat. Cheryl couldn't see the initial injury, but the so-called 'burrito' stains on his jacket were coming to light. The boy hadn't been killed in one fatal shot. Oh no, multiple attempts had been made on his life. The way the blood trailed across the back of his jacket, she counted at least seven stab wounds. But she hadn't seen them before. Neither Betty and Jughead's wounds. It was like the afterlife couldn't make its mind up.

Archie seemed to notice her staring and quickly turned, his eyes widening. He opened his mouth to say something, running his hands through his hair. Jughead threw a protective arm around him which Archie leaned into, scowling at Cheryl.

Later. she could practically hear the Jones boy's growl. Then he gestured to the deputy, who was still frowning at her. She snapped back to reality. "Cheryl, you seem out of it." Travis said softly. "Please let me take you home."

"I'm all good!" she forced a laugh. "I think I ate some bad chicken."

Travis didn't look convinced. "That's food poisoning. Sweetie, really, there's no trouble."

Cheryl shook her head. "I'm good here, thanks." she said, backing away. "Well, thank you for the ride, deputy! I'll see you-"

"I'm coming with you." Kevin jumped out quickly, joining her on the walk. Betty's face lit up, the blonde girl throwing herself at Kevin. But she went straight through him, soundlessly landing on her knees. Jughead automatically went to pull her up, and Betty looked crushed.

Her blue eyes filled with tears and she was speaking, sobbing, clutching the boy. He held her, and Cheryl wondered if anyone would ever hold her like that. Like Jughead Jones was holding Betty Cooper. They enveloped into each other, sharing a bittersweet kiss that made them glow even brighter, tendrils of golden light snaking around the two of them, pushing them closer.

So even the afterlife shipped them, huh? Figures.

Archie, standing a few feet away, looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to join. But - that would be weird. In the end he just shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. Cheryl wasn't a mindreader, but she knew he just wanted Veronica. If Betty and Jughead were allowed to have eternal peace together, didn't he and Ronnie deserve that too? Speaking of the Vixen haired girl, where the hell was she?

Kevin smiled at her. Or at least he tried to smile. Taking a deep breath, he folded his arms across his chest. "I'm not letting you go off on your own, Blossom," he said. "Even if I'm still mad at you."

The deputy groaned. "Seriously, you too Kev?" he chuckled. "Is it my driving?"

Kevin waved a hand dismissively. "I'll text my dad and tell him I'll be at the station later," he said. "I'm just going to take care of Cheryl."

She scoffed. "Keller, I can take care of myself." but she smiled at him, grateful for his company. The boy still looked torn in half. But his cheeks were starting to pinch with color, his eyes looking a little brighter. Betty, still nestled in Jughead's arms, lifted her head and smiled at the boy. Her heart was probably bursting at the sight of him smiling. Even if it was the ghost of his former self. She swore the girl glowed brighter.

Deputy Travis frowned at the two of them. "Look kids," he sighed. "There's a killer on the loose." the man's eyes grew wide, his lip curling. "Some sick bastard butchered your classmates last night. And Kev, you're in pieces, son." Travis' expression crumpled. "I can't make you get in the car, but I'd strongly recommend it, guys."

Cheryl glanced at Archie, and the boy shook his head. He jerked his head in the direction of Sweetwater woods. Where exactly were they taking her? Were they showing her where they had been murdered? She exhaled. "Like I said, deputy. We're fine."

Kevin moved to stand next to her. "Tell my dad I love him, and I'll be back soon." his voice cracked, and Cheryl had to fight back the urge to grab his hand and squeeze it. She wasn't that type of girl.

The deputy sighed before starting the car back up. "Just be careful." he muttered, before driving away. Cheryl watched the car go, disappearing into a cloud of exhaust fumes. She shuffled uncomfortably on the spot. They were in the middle of nowhere with nobody but three mute ghosts. Which Kevin couldn't see. Also there was the nagging feeling that she had forgotten something really important. What did Kevin say to the deputy again?

Kevin wrinkled his nose before turning to Cheryl. "So where exactly are you planning on going?" his eyebrow quirked. "I know fake gagging when I see it."

Cheryl watched the three ghosts head into the clearing, walking into the woods. Jughead and Betty disappeared through brush and Archie twisted around to look at her, gesturing for her to follow. She lost her breath a little. His bloody forehead was becoming progressively more prominent, half of his pale face dyed a terrifying scarlet. Archie looked confused, his lips curving into what might have been a sheepish smile. But her expression must have scared him. His injuries were coming back, little by little. Instead of the afterlife editing them away, they glowed brighter than the light emanating from within. This wasn't fair. She didn't, fuck, she didn't want to see them like that.

When Betty turned too, grabbing Jughead's hand playfully, blood seeped from her lips. It dripped down her chin in pools of onyx. The girl frowned at her when she had to stifle back a cry. Jughead turned to the blonde, presumably asking what was wrong, before he too twisted around to frown at her. Oh god. Jughead's wounds were eerily similar to Archie's.

his words from earlier haunted her; I didn't die alone.

Archie and Jughead had died together, and for some reason, that thought split her heart apart.

Cheryl whipped her head back and forth, fighting back the overwhelming urge to scream, and turn back, abandoning the three of them.

No. She couldn't do that. She was this close.

Cheryl was sure, at that point, that neither of them could see what she was seeing. The grisly marks confirming their fate. Like Archie, Jughead's cheeks were splattered scarlet, almost his entire face stained the same harrowing red.

She couldn't look at them anymore. Cheryl ducked her head, choking back a sob.

"I-" Cheryl forced her legs to work, stumbling after them, and Kevin followed, warily. "Hey, are you okay?" he chuckled, weakly. "You actually do look sick this time."

"I know a shortcut." she managed to reply.

"A shortcut?" Kevin rushed to keep up with her. "You mean through Sweetwater?"

Cheryl ignored him for a moment, keeping tabs on Betty's tangled blonde hair, swishing back and forth in the cool breeze as the three of them bounded ahead.

"Cheryl?" Kevin tone softened. "Dude, you're looking at thin air."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," she tripped over tree roots and uneven ground, stumbling after her dead classmates, who had been reduced to three glowing orbs in the distance. "Kevin, what I said earlier, I meant it. I-"

Don't. Archie was in front of her suddenly, shaking his head. His brown eyes were wide with pain, his lip quivering. Please. he mouthed, and Cheryl floundered. What? Didn't they want her to tell Kevin?

"What is it?" Kevin murmured, and she swallowed. "Nothing." Cheryl said softly. Archie nodded. "No time." he mouthed. Cheryl concentrated on Archie. The boy didn't join back with Betty and Jughead, choosing to stay at her side. Dammit Andrews. Cheryl's heart ached. He sent her a soft smile, and she tried really, really hard to return one.

Kevin hummed, kicking at dirt with the toe of his converse. "I don't know what I'm going to do." he said softly. When Cheryl opened her mouth to answer, he let out a strangled sob. "This is my favorite place in this town," he whispered, wiping his nose on his shirt. It suddenly occurred to Cheryl that he was still wearing his pajamas, his jacket flung over the top. But Kevin didn't seem fazed. He sounded like he was in a trance.

"Veronica and I used to come in here and talk about what we were going to do when we graduate," he sniffled, and Cheryl held her breath. "For hours, we'd sit by the lake and just- fantasize." he giggled a little. "about what our lives were going to be, y'know?"

Her throat ached, her chest pounded. Her heart felt it was going to explode. One look at Archie told her that the boy was struggling to, his gaze on the ground. He didn't look up. "She said we could all get a flat together in New York." Kevin let out a sob. "Betty and J- Jughead would be together, and her and Archie. We'd be happy."

Betty appeared next to Archie, followed by Jughead. The two of them were still holding each other. But they wanted to hear Kevin's story. The blonde had tears streaming down her face. She was looking ahead, mutely talking to Jughead, whose eyes were swollen.

"It's not going to happen now, is it?" Kevin lifted his head to look at her, and Cheryl really was crying now. And hell, she embraced it.

"Ronnie told me she wanted to be a fashion designer," he whispered. "Betty and Jughead working for the New York Times, and Archie? His dream was to be a musician."

Cheryl giggled, spluttering on her tears. "God, he never got to choose between music or football." she said, and Archie's head snapped up, his brown eyes wide and playful. "Oi!" she read his lips, and Betty and Jughead- it looked like they were laughing with him. Cheryl's heart swelled. They were finally together, laughing, their faces bright. Even if they were covered in blood, broken and dragged into some kind of afterlife. They could still smile.

She realized Kevin hadn't reacted to her Archie comment. The boy was still staring at the ground. "For what it's worth," he said eventually. "They were too risky, right?"

The boy's words attracted Jughead's attention. He frowned, his forehead wrinkling.

Risky? Cheryl cleared her throat. "Kevin, what do you mean?"

Kevin looked like he might reply, but she spied something in the distance, hidden between trees and brush. It was a log cabin. The windows were dark, and when Cheryl hurried forwards, trailed by the three ghosts, her heart fell into her stomach.

"This place?" she whimpered, her legs turning to lead. She looked at Archie, whose eyes had grown turbulent. Jughead pulled both of his friends close. His green eyes were fierce, unlike Betty and Archie. Who looked terrified. It's here. he mouthed, and when she could only stare back helplessly, Jughead nodded slowly. This is where we-

"Cheryl, why are we here?" Kevin's voice was shaking. The boy's eyes were on the cabin, all the color drained from his face.

She managed a reassuring smile, stumbling over to the door on legs that felt ready to give way. "I'm just gonna see if there's anyone in." she murmured, heading to the door. She tried the handle, and Kevin joined her. "What are you doing?!" he hissed. "Dude, you can't break into some rando's cabin in the woods!"

Cheryl bit back a cry of frustration. But she had to. It was the only way of figuring out who the killer was. She tried the handle again, and then Betty came up to her, fiddling with her hair. She pulled out a bobby pin, and Cheryl stared at it. Maybe Betty couldn't understand that everything about her, whether that was her clothes, her skin, her eyes- even her hair accessories, were dead. She frowned at the ghost bobby pin for a moment, and Betty seemed to understand. Oh. her lips said, and Cheryl rolled her eyes.

Thanks anyway, Cooper. She tried to smile at the blonde, but Betty looked desperate. Cheryl searched the wooden steps for a key. Before an idea sprung to mind. She dug into her jacket, pulling out the paperclip Betty had given her- well, an alive Betty- a few months back. The blonde had pressed it into her palm, a playful smile on her face. "You never know when you might need it, Cheryl." she'd smiled. Ghost Betty's eyes widened when she saw the paperclip, her lips stretching into a grin. See! she looked proud of both herself and Cheryl. Jughead rolled his eyes, doing a bad job at hiding his own smile.

"Betty gave this to me a while ago." she said out loud. Cheryl bent the clip so it was straight, before jamming it into the lock. After jammying around with it for a moment, there was a click, and all three ghosts crowded around the door. This time Betty was the one who held the other two. Her bright smile and look of pride was wiped from her face, her eyes darkening. It looked like she was trying to hold them back.

Betty. Archie was saying. It's okay, it's okay. I'm okay.

Her expression, broken. No you're not! Neither of you are, just stay back!

"Cheryl." Kevin said softly. He was right behind her, his breath tickling her neck. "Don't- don't go in there."

"I'm just going to take a look." she whispered. Her hand was around the doorknob, but she couldn't move.

Swallowing, Cheryl opened the door slowly, hesitantly. Before her ears popped. Well, something did. There was a sudden tinny ringing in the back of her head, and before she could figure out what it was, something was flying at her, as if they'd been trapped in there. Veronica. Cheryl's heart skipped, hope flooding her chest that the girl was somehow alive. But her body had been found in the river with the others.

Stumbling back, Cheryl screamed. Veronica Lodge. Her blue eyes wild, lips twisted, a blood stained dress hanging from her frame. The girl's mouth was open in a scream, but as the ringing got louder in her ears, Cheryl could suddenly hear it, smashing through the barrier between her and the ghosts. Before she knew it, she could hear Veronica's sobbing as she jumped into a startled Archie's arms. "Archie!" she squeaked. Her voice sounded faded- but it was real. Oh god, she could hear Veronica. When the dark haired girl grabbed Betty and Jughead, throwing her arms around them too, Cheryl noticed a huge bloody gash in the girl's left temple. She covered her mouth, swallowing bile.

"Ronnie. Oh god, Veronica!" Archie's strangled sob sent shivers down her spine. Cheryl could hear them. It was weird. Cheryl never thought she'd hear Archie's voice again.

She watched silently as the four of them collapsed into each other, sobbing, trying to talk over each other. She could hear them. Their heavy breathing, Jughead's hisses at Veronica to calm down, to tell him what was happening. The girl could barely speak she was sobbing so much, as both Betty and Archie tried to calm her with soothing voices.

"Veronica," Archie sniffled. He cradled the girl's face, pressing his head into hers. "Ronnie, you have to tell me what happened."

"It- it was him!" she whimpered, shivering, tightening her hold around the redhead. "Oh god, Archie, he watched! he- he watched you die! Archie- he- he watched-"

"Cheryl." Jughead jumped to his feet. "Now that you can hear us there's something- he let out a heavy breath. "There's something you should know."

"He killed me!" Veronica was screeching, sobbing into Archie's chest, while the redhead broke apart too. His eyes were squeezed shut, his lips parted into a cry. Betty knelt in front of the two of them. "Wait, Veronica-" her voice broke. "Was there..was there someone else?"

"Cheryl." Kevin's voice made her jump. She slowly turned around to talk to the boy, trying to think of some kind of logical excuse for acting insane.

"Cheryl, I'm sorry." the boy whispered, but his next words were drowned out by Veronica's sobbing. "He- killed me Archie. He killed me." as her words became less convoluted, the girl started to make sense. "Archie," she lifted her head, her blue eyes filled with tears. The redhead stared back, confused. "Archie-"

Something slammed into the back of her skull and Cheryl found herself falling backwards, smacking her head on the wooden steps. "Cheryl!" before she knew it, Archie was kneeling in front of her. "Please no," he was whimpering. But he wasn't speaking to her, he was talking to the boy standing over her. One of his best friends. "Not- not you-"

Cheryl looked up dizzily. She could see stars. Jughead was holding back a screeching Betty, kicking and screaming, while Veronica sat on her knees and sobbed into her hands. There was a figure looming over her, and it took Cheryl a few seconds to realise who it was. The anger in Archie's eyes, Betty's screaming. All of it made a sick kind of sense, puzzle pieces sliding together in her head. What had she been whacked with?

"I had to." Kevin's voice was suddenly clear, louder than Betty's screaming, and Jughead's soothing voice quickly turning into sobs. The boy stood over her, holding his father's phone. There was a dull throbbing in her right temple, and when Cheryl went to tend to it, she felt blood. Oh god. Archie was still in front of her, tearing into his letterman jacket. "We've got to- oh god, we've got to stop the bleeding!" his voice was frantic, but when he pressed his bloodied jacket to her forehead, she felt nothing.

"My dad took souvenirs from them," Kevin said. "So I wouldn't forget them."

Her ears were roaring. "Archie's jacket, Veronica's pearls-"

Cheryl's gaze snapped to Jughead. His hand went to his hair, feeling for a special part of him that was no longer there.

"Jughead's beanie..."

"And - Betty's phone." The boy laughed. "Of course, with the evidence of my father's dirty secret."

"You." Cheryl managed to say softly, and the boy let out a hysterical laugh, dropping the blue phone. Which- oh god, it was Betty's. She should have recognised the pastel blue, how the hell hadn't she?

"They got too close, Cheryl." Kevin said softly. "My dad, he was- he was doing it so we could get out of this town. You understand that, right?"

Cheryl groaned. What the hell had he hit her with? She couldn't move, her head was pounding, stars twinkling in her vision.

"Your dad killed them."

"Correction, my dad killed Betty, Jughead and Archie." he broke off into a sob. "I- I had to get rid of Veronica. She'd sing like a canary, Cheryl."

"You bastard!" Veronica was on her feet, pounding her phantom fists into his chest, but Kevin didn't feel a thing.

"So are you going to shut me up too?" she whispered, and Archie's eyes grew wide. He was still trying to stop the bleeding with his ghostly hands. "No, no- I won't let him hurt you." the boy sobbed. "You hear me?"

Kevin sucked in a breath. "You do know I'd do anything to protect my dad, right?" he was crying again, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Even if it means killing four of my closest friends."

Jughead was on his feet, dragging Betty with him. "You're a coward," he spat, inching towards the boy. "You killed us so your dad could continue laundering cash from the town."

Oh. So it was all coming to light.

"And me?" Cheryl whispered. Damn, her head hurt. "Hows about me, hmm?" she was slurring slightly. "You gon' throw me in the river too?"

Kevin, to her surprise, smiled. "No, Cheryl," he said softly, kneeling in front of her. Archie attacked the boy, but his punches only went straight through him. "The thing is, you never really liked them, did you?"

Cheryl scoffed. "Lemme guess. You're gonna pin it on me."

The boy nodded. "Cheryl Blossom murdered four of her classmates, before burning down her secret cabin in the woods, taking herself with it."

Fear struck her heart, but Cheryl managed a laugh. "The town would never believe that."

Kevin cocked his head. "Are you sure? Because it's well known that you can't stand any of them. Shouldn't you be happy they're dead and gone?"

"Don't listen to him." Archie whispered. "Cheryl, you need to listen to me. Run." his brown eyes were wild. "Please. Before you end up like us."

Cheryl tried to move, but the pain in her head was electrifying. She could feel blood seeping down her cheek. "Kevin, please," she whispered. She didn't want to die. There was a life out there, a life Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead couldn't live. But she could live it for them. "Please let me go, I won't- I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Kevin shook his head. He was holding something long and black- metallic. Where had he even gotten that? Shit, one hit- and she'll be gone, lost in oblivion with the others.

"Dad told me they said that." he whispered. "But he knew they'd talk. Betty and Jughead are well known for trying to get the truth. They- they couldn't live." his expression grew sombre. "I'm sorry Cheryl." he said, with real sincearty. Cheryl shut her eyes when he lifted the metal bar. Archie and Betty jumped in front of her, Veronica and Jughead trying to push him away, throwing themselves at him from every angle.

"Kevin! Kevin, put the weapon down!"

Cheryl's eyes snapped open. FP Jones and Fred Andrews were stood a few feet away, both of them pointing a gun at the boy. Kevin choked out a breath and stumbled back, the bar slipping from his grasp. "I-" he choked. Fred Andrews and FP Jones were a disheveled mess, both sporting raw eyes and tear stained cheeks. "Kevin, your dad handed himself in," FP shouted. "Please- son, just take a step back, okay?"

"Dad?" Jughead twisted around, the facade that he'd built around himself, shattering completely. The boy choked on a sob and rushed over to his father, diving at him. But of course they didn't make contact. Archie followed him, throwing his arms around Fred who looked straight through him. Betty stood in front of the gun pointed at Kevin.

"Dont." she said. "Please, Mr Andrews, don't!" After all Kevin Keller had done, Betty still stepped in front of a loaded gun for him.

Veronica wrapped her arms around the Blonde. "Betty! Betty, sweetie it's okay- you're okay- Betty it's okay..." her voice cracked, but she tightened her grip on her friend, while Betty sobbed into her chest.

"How could he?"

"Oh god, how- how could he?!"

Kevin dropped his arms.

"I- I didn't mean-" he broke down, and FP and Fred rushed over, grabbing hold of the boy and cuffing him, before Fred helped her up. "FP, dial 911." he said quickly. Cheryl felt her legs give-way, even when the man held her full weight. She sagged in his arms, and he fell down with her. "No, no, Cheryl, honey, stay with me!" he yelled. But Cheryl was too busy blinking at the bright light that had appeared in front of her. Before she could speak, Archie was in front of her.

"Cheryl, I lost my son today, I can't lose anyone else, okay?" Fred Andrews' voice was quivering. "You have to promise me to keep breathing. Stay awake."

Cheryl listened to the man, steeling herself to reality.

No, she wouldn't fade.

At the corner of her eye, Betty and Jughead were hugging, Veronica staring wide-eyed at the light seemingly getting brighter and brighter.

Oh. Cheryl realised the three of them were glowing along with the light, Archie the brightest. Fred and FP's voices were faded as they cried out for an ambulance. "Cheryl," Archie was smiling, but it was a broken smile. "You did it." he whispered. "Dude, you helped us move on."

"Mmm." she managed to say. Tears were slipping down her cheeks, but she didn't care for them. Archie leaned forward. "You're going to live, okay Cheryl Blossom?" he said. "You're going to find someone, live the greatest life you'll ever live, okay? For me, Betty, Jughead and Veronica." his eyes were so warm. So kind.

"You owe that to us, okay?" He sounded desperate. "Cheryl, please - fuck. Please hold on."

She stared dully at him.

"Cheryl, you're going to be alright." Fred was yelling. But Cheryl only smiled at the angel in front of her. The stupid doe eyed redhead who she'd completely fallen for. Archie Andrews looked like himself again. The blood spatters were dispersing, leaving that same heavenly golden light. God, he was beautiful.

Archie choked.

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Cheryl Blossom."

Oh, he could hear her thoughts.

"But you can't come with us, do you understand me? Cheryl you have to live."

"FP!" Fred cried. "FP, she's losing blood!"

Archie's expression crumpled.

"no- no- dad!" Archie grabbed into his father, but his hands went straight through the man. He let out a hiss of frustration.

"You can do this, okay?" Archie let out a breath. "Dad?"

Fred couldn't see his son, but something flickered in his eyes.

"She's going to be okay," the man said softly. It almost looked like he was looking directly at Archie for a moment, before he shook his head. The redhead looked broken that he was invisible to his dad. If only Fred could see him...

"Archie," Cheryl murmured. Her tongue and lips felt weird. "I don't want you to go."

The boy straightened up. "I'm not going to be alone." he said softly, and he was right. Veronica clung onto him, while Betty and Jughead held each other. They were glowing so bright, an unearthly haze swallowing them up. Jughead sent her a two fingered salute.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Jughead beamed. But he was crying. "This is straight out of the movie Ghost."

Cheryl blinked. "Don't go." she mumbled. "Please don't... don't go..." there were sirens in the distance, and suddenly FP was in her face. "Cheryl? sweetie, hold on."

She was holding on. But the urge to follow the others into the light, it was so enticing. "Archie, please." she whimpered. "Don't leave me. I don't-" she choked on cry. "I can't-" she drifted off, her gaze going to the blinding light.

Betty Cooper looked like a real angel, her hair a golden halo, holding onto Jughead Jones and Veronica Lodge.

"Dude, Archie- come on," Jughead said softly, gesturing for his friend to join them.

"Cheryl." the redhead was in front of her again, smiling teasingly. "This isn't goodbye. I'll see you again." with a final smile, he joined the other three, and they held each other, bracing for the end. Cheryl reached out weakly.

"You're lying Archie Andrews." she mumbled.

Archie laughed, and it sounded so beautiful. "Until we meet again."

Where?! How?! before she could yell those words at him, the boy and his friends seemed to fade, as if the afterlife was pulling them back, back where? What happens when you finally move on?

Angels. Cheryl felt like laughing. The Scooby Gang were angels, and of course she didn't get to join. Kindergarten all over again.

"Cheryl, tell my dad I love him." were Archie's last words, like wind chimes in her ears.

oh, Fred already knew.

Cheryl was left staring, wide eyed, trying to blink through tears into a paramedics face. She searched for Archie, but he really was gone. For real this time.

"Cheryl Blossom?" the girl looked far too young to be a paramedic. Cheryl's age in fact. She had long dark hair dyed pink at the ends. "My name is Toni Topaz. I'm a -" the girl laughed a little. "I guess you could say I'm a helper." her eyes were warm, her smile kind.

"You're going to be alright."

* * *

5 Years Later.

New York City. The place of dreams. The concrete jungle where dreams were made of, according to Alicia Keys. Cheryl had dreamed of living in the Big Apple ever since she was little. Being independent in one of the biggest cities in the world, and here she was, twenty years old and living her dream. Though, hell. Her dream was up about fourteen flights of stairs. The new apartment was on the very top floor, which sucked. The elevator was out of order, so that meant she'd be traipsing up a dozen flights of stairs.

Reggie and Toni had dragged most of the moving boxes upstairs, and now it was up to her to finish up. Taking a deep breath, Cheryl began the ascent, stumbling with the two boxes piled on top of each other. Reggie had told her she'd drop them, and she'd given him a swift punch in the gut. The boy had become one of her closest friends over the years, and here they were finally moving in together in their second year of college. As for Toni- Cheryl had met her in the darkest part of her life, and the girl had been the light. Dragging her from pain and sorrow, and making her smile again.

Five years down the line, Toni was now Cheryl's fiance. The silver engagement band on her ring finger glinted in the late afternoon daylight streaming through the windows. Cheryl ducked her head, wincing. It was too bright. Far, far too bright. Couldn't the sun come out and play another day?

Cheryl hadn't really bothered with her outfit, choosing to wear a black dress over tights, her long red hair tied into a ponytail. The apartment complex itself was fancy, her heels clacking on each marble step as she climbed higher.

"You've got to be kidding me." Cheryl growled, glaring at a sign on the wall saying: FOURTH FLOOR.

She had only walked up four floors? It felt like twelve. She hefted the boxes in her arms, peering at the words scrawled on the top in red marker pen.

VIDEO GAMES. Cheryl rolled her eyes. Reggie. of course. The box underneath the video games sounded a lot like plates and pots. So if she fell, well, Toni was going to kill her. Toni Topaz had a weird obsession with patterned plates. The Serpent girl was perhaps the least intimidating person she had ever met, despite the tattoo on her upper arm that Cheryl liked to run her fingers over during pillow talk. Cheryl found herself smiling. She couldn't wait to sleep with Toni, in their new bed, in the new apartment.

Her bad mood evaporated and Cheryl danced up each step, weaving scenarios in her head. They'd have to put a lock on their bedroom door, since Reggie Mantle liked to 'accidently' walking in on them. It had happened fifteen times back home in Riverdale, since Reggie practically moved into Thornhill. Their friendship had just sort of happened. With the tragedy of losing his best friend Archie Andrews, as well as his abusive father, Reggie found comfort in her, since she had lost the boy too.

Now here he was, the closest she had to a best friend. Reggie was annoying, a little shit, but he was funny and sweet, and fuck- he really knew how to down a-

Cheryl let out a squeak of fright when -something- collided with her. She stumbled back, very nearly dropping the boxes. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was staring at guy, his arms wrapped around a bunch of moving boxes, and - oh. She glimpsed a guitar hanging from one of the boxes, and her chest panged with familiarity.

"Shit!" he let out a startled laugh and quickly put his down, before grabbing for hers. Cheryl blinked at the guy. He looked around her age with pale skin, freckles washed across his cheeks and unruly red hair poking from under a knitted beanie. He wore a white shirt and black skinny jeans. She recognized those arms. Those broad shoulders.

Cheryl nearly dropped the boxes in her arms. She was staring at- at Archie Andrews. Except he was dead. He'd been dead for five years, murdered by Thomas Keller, and his own friend Kevin Keller. The Andrews, Cooper, Jones and Lodge murders had shook her life. She had suppressed the memories, after Kevin had been sent away to prison for thirty years.

She hadn't thought of Archie until right then. Now that he was standing right in front of her, as real as the boxes in her hands, the sunlight streaming through the windows.

"Sorry, I was in a rush," the boy had an accent. Australian? Oh, so it wasn't Archie. She swallowed hard. Just...someone who looked exactly like him.

"Do you need a hand?" the boy reached for a box, knocking into her hand. Cheryl sucked in a breath. She still couldn't speak, or even breathe. The boy was real. He felt real. Looked real. His hand was warm, slick with sweat.

"Are you okay?" he chuckled. His eyes were the deepest shade of brown, a sweet chocolate. And Cheryl wasn't sure.

"I- yes." she managed to spit out.

The boy cocked an eyebrow. "You got a name?" he took the box off her, and before she could protest, chuckled. "Relax, I can help you with these."

"Cheryl." she whispered, following the boy as he bound up the steps, taking them three at a time. "Nice to meet ya Cheryl!" he turned to smile at her. "The name's KJ."

KJ. Her head was spinning, her chest clenching. Definitely not Archie.

"Uhh...what about your boxes?" she managed to say, glancing at the boy's guitar he'd left on the stairwell.

He laughed. "Don't worry, I'll come back and get 'em."

The boy carried the boxes all the way up to the fourteenth floor, before bounding through the doors, a huge ball of energy she wasn't used to.

"Oh cool, you're on my floor!" he smiled kindly. "Which number are you?"

"Number seventeen." she said softly, following him warily. KJ whistled. "Really? We're neighbours then." he beamed at her, and Cheryl could only stare back. Surely she was dreaming. The boy gently set her boxes down in front of her apartment before going next door. "I live here with my girlfriend, and my two best friends." he arched his brow. "Do you want to meet them?"

KJ was already yanking open the door before she could reply.

Cheryl stepped inside number sixteen, finding herself in a mostly empty room covered in moving boxes. There was a leather sofa in front of a TV, a guy with his back to her watching what looked like a noir film. "Guys, this is Cheryl, she lives next door." KJ walked in, gesturing to her. The boy in front of the TV turned to smile at her, and her breath caught in her throat; inky black hair covering kind green eyes, and that stupid smirk she thought she'd never see again.

Except it was on a much older face.

The boy was Jughead Jones, no doubt about it. "Sup." he said, before turning back to the TV.

KJ, who had wandered over to another box, rifling through it, shot her a grin and rolled his eyes. "The asshole sitting in front of the TV is Cole."

"Dude, I'm trying to watch a film."

"You're supposed to be helping me with moving in!" KJ straightened up. Cheryl had so many questions. Most of which she was sure were about to tear from her mouth in a strangled scream. But then an all too familiar voice snapped her attention from KJ flipping though what looked like college textbooks, to a small blonde, her hair a curly mess bouncing on her shoulders. Betty Cooper. Cheryl bit her lip. The girl wore a long pink sweater and leggings.

She was clutching a handful of books. "Alright, if any of you touch my journalism books I will gladly-" the girl lifted her head and frowned, a friendly smile gracing her lips. "Oh!" she looked at KJ for help, and he smiled.

"That's Cheryl, the girl living next door." the redhead said. "Cheryl this is Lili. The flat mom."

"Lil," Cole paused the TV, turning to the blonde. "Did you get popcorn?" to which the girl nodded. "Cami's bringing it up." she danced over to the sofa, her socks sliding on the wooden floor before jumping on Cole, who laughed, letting out a pained grunt. "Fuck, you're sitting on my-"

"Shush." Lili grinned. "No talking when the movie's on." the boy rolled his eyes and was about to say something, before Lili leaned forward and kissed him.

"Lils you're literally sitting on my balls."

Cheryl felt sick. But was it in a good or bad way? They were Betty and Jughead. The doomed sixteen year olds murdered by Thomas Keller. Yet here's they were, right in front of her. She struggled to tear her gaze from them.

"Gross." KJ teased. He was still fumbling through boxes. "Can you guys please get a room? Since, y'know, you actually have a room now?"

Cheryl was sure she was dreaming. But when she pinched herself, nothing faded, she didn't fall away. Damn, this was actually real. Her eyes stung, and she let out a soft breath.

"Alright! The options for dinner are pizza, pizza or pizza." another girl who Cheryl hadn't seen stepped into the lounge. Veronica Lodge. But like the others, older, maturer. The girl's hair was shorter, and she wore jeans and a band shirt, a denim jacket flung over the top.

"Wow, such a variety," Cole said. "I'm gonna go with pizza?"

KJ beckoned the girl over, and Cheryl tried not to flinch.

"Last but not least, we have my beautiful girlfriend Camila."

Camila smiled at her, and Cheryl's heart hurt. The same green eyes and ruby lips. "Hey there!" before wandering over to KJ and yanking him up. "Can you like, chill, for five minutes?" she murmured.

KJ frowned. "I have boxes to-"

"We are watching a movie, Kage." the girl said sternly. When the redhead opened his mouth, she captured his lips in a kiss. "Shut up." she muffled into his mouth.

"Make me." He murmured, the two of them giggling.

"Who are the gross ones now?" Cole called, Lili snorting into his chest. "You judge us for innocently sitting here watching a movie while you guys literally reenact Fifty Shades Of Grey."

Cheryl was done. "I- I've gotta go," she managed to squeak, before backing out of the flat and slamming the door shut. Her eyes were stinging with tears. She held her breath against a sob.

I'm seeing things.  
I'm seeing things.  
I'm seeing things.

But she wasn't. The friends she'd thought she had lost all those years ago, were back.

* * *

The second the door had slammed shut, Archie knew one of them had made a mistake. Cheryl had rushed out, leaving the four of them to frown at each other.

"Okay, Soul Squad meeting." He cleared his throat. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I told you, we're not Soul Squad, because we happen to be alive, you dingus." Jughead muffled into a pillow he had pressed against his face. "All in favour of stopping Arch from coming up with names."

"Jug." Betty rolled her eyes, grabbing the cushion off him.

"Okay, I'm not naming names," Jughead sat up, Betty still sitting on his legs. She shuffled uncomfortably. "But I think it was Archie's really bad Kiwi accent that gave it away."

Archie dropped the DVD's he'd been looking through, narrowing his eyes. "Are you kidding? I've been working on it for weeks!"

"Dude, you sounded like you were doing a bad impression of Steve Irwin."

"I still think it's Betty's hair." Veronica wandered over, leaning on the sofa. She smirked at Betty.

The blonde looked offended. "I never wear it in a ponytail anymore, it couldn't have been me."

Archie hummed. "So you're admitting you think it was partially you?"

Betty paled. "No!" she threw a cushion at the boy, who grinned, lobbing one right back at her.

Jughead groaned. "Alright, so we died, were given a second chance at life, and what? we scare Cheryl off the second we meet her again." he shoved his face into the leather of the sofa. "Great job, guys."

* * *

THE END

(for now) ;)

Review and tell me what you think! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi! hope you guys had an amazing Christmas! There is a sequel to this fic called 'Soul Searching' and the first part will be up New Years day :D this is unedited so excuse the mistakes :D**

 **Here is a preview until then! :)**

Prologue.

* * *

Before.

"Alright Fitz. Where's the chip?"

Fitz could think of many places he'd rather spend his Saturday night. Which wasn't stuck in The Hole. Almost a daily occurrence now. God, could they not catch a break, just for once? It was the weekend, he should be clubbing, with the frat guys, or even doing normal shit like overdue assignments. But- no. Instead he was stuck in a crumbling basement. Four filthy walls staring back at him.

The same walls destined to be a canvas for dripping scarlet. His own fucking blood, splashed, splattered against concrete. There wasn't a day that went by when Fitz didn't imagine his own death.

The overhead lights flickered erratically, swamping The Hole in warm orange light. He winced, ducking his head, letting strands of dark hair fall in his eyes. The allure would never be homely. It would never be safe. Always setting his heart into a frantic beat. Fitz wanted to cry. His eyes burned with tears, bottom lip starting to shudder. But he wouldn't give the bastard the satisfaction of seeing him cry, break apart like a china doll. Fitz would keep it together. He had to. If he didn't, he'd crack.

For Fitz, luck didn't seem to exist in his life, or his line of work. Instead of living a life of luxury and protection, he was a slave. A puppet that did others dirty work. That was the problem with being an orphan. You did shit you regretted to stay alive. You exposed yourself to the real scum of New York. And hell, he could do nothing about it. Because unlike most his kids his age, he didn't have a parental figure.

Zilch. The closest adult in his life right now, was the man looming over him with a gun, heavy breath stinking of stale cigarettes and coffee; clammy hands around the handle, index resting on the trigger just waiting to pull it. Waiting for either Fitz or one of the others to give him a reason to kill them. Just a slip of the tongue, speaking out of turn, or even a simple facial expression such as a frown. All of it was too risky, too fucking dangerous. So no matter how scared he was, Fitz kept his expression neutral.

In the early days, it had taken him a while to master it. The blank eyes, the very slight curl on his lips. Holding his breath, chest out, stomach in.

Cringing away from the smooth barrel of the gun being pointed directly between his eyebrows Fitz gritted his teeth. This was the first time in his life he'd been speechless. Unable to coerce simple words with his tongue. There had been a command which he was supposed to follow.

But he couldn't. His mouth was dry, throat feeling like sandpaper. It didn't help that he was kneeling on rough concrete, arms pinned behind his back with rough, scratchy rope that chafed his wrists. They had gone numb a while ago.

"Where's the chip, Fitz?"

The question still hung in the air like spoiled milk. It had been the first time he'd been directly spoken to. Most of the time, Lils was picked on. Because of her filthy mouth. Lils played around with the possibility of their death, like she was toying with them. The girl was a dare devil, a risk taker. If smiling sweetly meant possibly receiving a frontal lobotomy, and the others suffering, then she'd still do it. Because unlike Fitz, Lils wasn't scared of dying. She had begged for it since she had turned thirteen, after street life had turned her into a monster. Well, all of them.

Lils ran her mouth off a lot. She smiled when she wasn't supposed to, questioned things when they were supposed to be quiet. Perhaps that's why she was always the one the man spoke to, when grilling them. But that wasn't the case now. Lils knelt next to Fitz, her head of blonde hair, which used to be beautiful strawberry blonde waves he missed, reduced to a straggly mess of permanent bedhead. She, like him, was in her pajamas; cartoon owls littering soft white cotton shirt and pants. Fitz shivered in his boxer shorts and nothing else.

He liked to catch them off guard, ordering his cronies to break into their shared apartment in the dead of night, dragging them from their beds. Though Fitz had been expecting it.

From the confused look in his friend's eye, sweet, sweet Lils hadn't. Every time he caught her gaze, a little piece of him broke.

He didn't like looking at Lils. Pale gaunt cheeks and empty eyes always stared back. She wasn't looking at the man. Instead her gaze was staring at the floor. Which was strange, because normally she was the one with the most life, swears rolling off her tongue like snake venom.

Fitz supposed Lils was the bastard's favorite. She did everything right; completed assignments with flying colours and killed with no mercy. Though that wasn't anything different from any of them. All four of them, including Fitz, were murderers.

* * *

 **Please tell me if you're interested in the sequel, because I'm so so excited to write this :D**


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